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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE 

PHILIP B. KENNEDY, Director 




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SPECIAL AGENTS SERIES—No. 184 




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ELECTRICAL GOODS IN ARGENTINA 
URUGUAY, AND BRAZIL 


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By 


PHILIP S. SMITH 

Trade Commissioner 


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE 

PHILIP B. KENNEDY, Director 



SPECIAL AGENTS SERIES—No. 184 


ELECTRICAL GOODS IN ARGENTINA 
URUGUAY, AND BRAZIL 


By 

PHILIP S. SMITH 

Trade Commissioner 



PRICE, 20 CENTS 

Sold by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D. C. 

WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1919 

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CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Letter of submittal-_ 5 

Argentina_ 7 

Features of Argentine market_ 7 

Central stations_ 26 

Charges for light and power___ 36 

Lighting_ 37 

Heating devices_ 44 

Power_ 46 

Traction and steam road electrification___ 49 

Telephones and telegraph_ 53 

Market for specific articles_ 56 

Uruguay_ 75 

Features of the market_ 75 

Central stations_ 80 

Lighting_ 81 

Heating and cooking_ 83 

Power and traction_ 85 

Telegraphs and telephones_ 86 

Market for specific articles- 87 

Brazil_ 93 

Features of the market--- 93 

Hydroelectric development- 103 

Central stations and transmission lines- 104 

Lighting, heating, and cooking- 109 

Power_ <113 

Traction and steam road electrification_ 118 

Telephones and telegraphs_ 121 

Market for specfic articles- 122 

Appendix- 132 

Telephone companies in Uruguay---— 132 

Central stations in Uruguay- 132 

Telephone companies in Brazil- 133 


3 




































































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LETTER OF SUBMITTAL, 


Department of Commerce, 

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 

W ashing ton, August 1,1919. 

Sir : There is submitted herewith a report by Trade Commissioner 
Philip S. Smith on the markets for electrical goods in Argentina, 
Uruguay, and Brazil. During the war American goods have thor¬ 
oughly established themselves in these three countries, especially in 
Brazil. In many lines they should continue to maintain a leading 
place on the market, but in order that they may do so American man¬ 
ufacturers will have to keep in close touch with the trade, particu¬ 
larly by working through active agents in the principal trade 
centers. The use of electricity is very widespread throughout the 
three countries, but the high cost of imported fuel and the lack of 
water power tend to limit its use in Argentina and Uruguay. In 
Brazil, on the other hand, there is a most promising future for elec¬ 
tricity and electrical materials because of the immense amount of 
water power available. As this power is found for the most part in 
the coastal section of the country, it will be available for industrial 
enterprises and for general lighting, heating, and power purposes 
in the numerous towns and cities of this section, which includes the 
greater part of the population of the country. The present users of 
electrical materials are well acquainted with American goods, which 
are almost universally in good favor. 

Respectfully, 

Philip B. Kennedy, 

Director . 

To Hon. William C. Redfield, 

Secretary of Commerce. 


5 










' 

' 

















ELECTRICAL GOODS IN ARGENTINA, URUGUAY, AND BRAZIL. 


ARGENTINA. 

FEATURES OF ARGENTINE MARKET. 

The Argentine Republic is the second largest in South America, 
having an area of 1,125,000 square miles. For the most part it is 
relatively flat, resembling to a certain extent the Middle Western 
States of the United States. The northern section, however, is 
covered with subtropical forests and a narrow strip along the west¬ 
ern border is very mountainous, the boundary between Argentina and 
Chile being the line which touches the highest peaks of the Andean 
Cordillera. The great wealth of the country has been produced by 
agriculture and cattle raising, as the soil is extremely fertile in almost 
the entire extent of the country and can be worked by modern 
methods on a large scale. 

The population is 7,885,000, which means a density of approxi¬ 
mately 7 inhabitants per square mile, as compared with 35 per 
square mile in the United States, and 190 to 300 in the central coun¬ 
tries of Europe. In normal years immigration steadily increased, 
and reached 302,000 in 1915. Two years later it had fallen to 
15,000, and to-day it has stopped completely. The greater number 
of immigrants have always come from Spain, although Italy oc¬ 
cupies a fairly close second place. Probably 90 per cent are farmers, 
or small merchants, and therefore do not contribute to any appre¬ 
ciable extent to the industrial growth of the nation. From the 
nature of the country, however, it must depend upon its soil, rather 
than upon manufacturing, and consequently this class of immigra¬ 
tion is more desirable for the present. As time goes on it will be 
necessary to attract more mechanics and skilled laborers if the de¬ 
sired program of factory development is to meet with any degree 
of success. It is estimated that 20 to 25 per cent of the entire pop¬ 
ulation lives in Buenos Aires and suburbs, and that practically 
50 per cent lives in the country, or in small towns of a few thousand 
each. To this particular distribution of population is due the fact 
that in Argentina there are a large number of electric generating 
plants with less than 150 kilowatts capacity, as well as the largest 
single central station in South America. 

CLIMATE. 

In the west and northwest, where Argentina joins the Chilean 
Andes and the highlands of Bolivia, and in the extreme south of 
the Territory of Patagonia, the climate is very variable, there being 
frequent rains and fluctuating temperatures, which are, in general, 
much lower than any experienced in the central section. The latter 
is the great agricultural belt, and while subject to wide changes in 
temperature between the summer and winter months, does not have 
the rapid variations of the mountainous regions. 


7 



8 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


There is still a third division known as the Chaco, which includes 
the Territories in the northeast. Part of this division is within the 
Tropics and the general climatic conditions of the whole of it are 
those of the Torrid Zone. It is inhabited principally by Indians 
and is practically inaccessible except by water, small craft being 
able to ply upon the numerous streams draining that region, none 
of which are suitable for hydroelectric development, as the gradient 
is not sufficient to furnish a proper fall within a reasonable distance. 

Of these three districts the central is the only one that is commer¬ 
cially important, as it is here that most of the people live. During 
the winter the thermometer stands usually around 40° to 50° F. 
and upon rare occasions drops to 32° or slightly lower. Snow has 
fallen in Buenos Aires a few times. This low temperature holds 
for some three months and makes life quite uncomfortable, espe¬ 
cially to North Americans, except in those few buildings which 
have been equipped with central heating plants. Local heating by 
electricity would be ideal for this section and would add a great 
deal to the comfort of living. Once this fact is realized, a large 
field will be opened for the introduction of small devices for inter¬ 
mittent use. The chief obstacle in the way of making such mate¬ 
rial better known is the fact that the people have never been accus¬ 
tomed to artificial heat of any sort and are inclined toward the be¬ 
lief that it is detrimental to the health. 

PRINCIPAL CITIES. 

Argentina, on account of the concentration of a large part of its 
population in the central section, is largely dominated commer¬ 
cially by Buenos Aires, the Federal capital. The port there has been 
extensively developed and is being enlarged at the present time to 
take care of a greatly increased traffic, so that it will be in a position 
to handle all demands that are likely to be made upon it. The only 
other ports of much interest to shippers to Argentina are Rosario and 
Bahia Blanca. Both are deep-water ports and are well provided 
with freight-handling facilities, although they are more important 
as exporting than as importing centers. They are largely exploited 
by private companies which hold concessions from the Government 
and which are leaders in a movement to secure a greater share of 
the incoming freight from overseas. These companies are the Cen¬ 
tral Argentine Railway and the Buenos Aires & Pacific Railway, 
which would profit by carrying into the interior all freight entering 
at these ports and which bring to the terminal elevators all the grain 
which is exported through them, such exportation now being the 
principal business of Rosario and Bahia Blanca. It is highly desir¬ 
able that our exporters should become better acquainted with these 
cities and with others in the interior, inasmuch as the life is in many 
respects quite different from that in Buenos Aires, and only by 
appreciating this can one form an accurate opinion regarding trade 
conditions over the country as a whole. As direct importing centers, 
however, they are of relatively little importance, as the greater part 
of the material purchased by merchants in these cities is actually 
bought through Buenos Aires, or through houses whose main offices 
are located there, with branches in the smaller cities. 


ARGENTINA. 


9 


Nearly all importers have travelers who cover the interior, or at 
least have agents or representatives in the important points who 
send their orders to Buenos Aires and draw their supplies from stocks 
maintained there. All banking houses are located in the capital, 
and even in cases where they have branches, no important foreign- 
trade transactions are handled, except through the main offices, 
where connections are established with European and American 
banks; so that it is only when goods are destined solely for the coun¬ 
try contiguous to Bahia Blanca or Rosario or to those cities them¬ 
selves are they chosen as ports of entry for foreign merchandise, 
and only under similar circumstances are the interior cities consid¬ 
ered proper destinations for direct exporting. 

Following is a list of larger cities, with the most recent estimate 
of the population of each: 


Avellaneda_ 146,000 

Bahia Blanca_ 75, 000 

Buenos Aires _ 1, 600, 000 

Catamarca_ 14, 000 

Chivilcoy _ 24, 000 

COrdoba _ 135,000 

Concordia_ 25, 000 

Corrientes _ 40,000 

Gualiguaychu _ 21,000 

Jujuy_ 15,000 

La Plata _ 95,000 

La Rioja_ 17, 000 

Lomas de Zamorra_ 23,000 


Mendoza_ 62,000 

Posadas_ 17, 000 

Parana _ 37,000 

Mar del Plata_ 28,000 

Resistencia _ 24, 000 

Rosario _ 235, 000 

Salta _ 38, 000 

San Juan_:_ 18, 000 

San Luis_ 25, 0*00 

San Nicolas_ 31,000 

Santa F6_ 55,000 

Santiago del Estero_ 21,000 

Tucum&n_ 70,000 


FOREIGN TRADE. 

In all branches of trade the imports from the United States have 
increased since the middle of 1914, owing largely to the disruption of 
the trade relations with Europe, which had been in operation for 
many years previous to that date. When it became apparent that ma¬ 
terial could not be obtained in quantities sufficient for the demands 
everyone turned to the United States for assistance, with the result 
that new agencies were established, and new brands never before seen 
on the market began to appear, while the old ones which had been ex¬ 
ploited previously were able to increase their sales manyfold. Where 
these new trade connections resulted satisfactorily to the importer— 
that is, where the goods met the requirements of his trade, and the 
prices, terms of payment, manner of shipping, and other numerous 
details incidental to the business were arranged favorably—there is 
every likelihood that they will continue indefinitely in the future. It 
is obvious that no efforts should be spared which will assure this 
desirable condition. The following table shows the imports of elec¬ 
trical goods, listed by articles, for the years 1910 to 1917, both inclu¬ 
sive: 


Articles. 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

Accessories, miscella- 
neous... 


$106,936 

510,187 

11,839 

4,719 

78,029 

52,320 

$149,936 

$223,358 

$171,597 

$225,372 

$162,023 

$108,811 

Accessories for under- 

prniTnrl rtahlft .. 

$73,888 

516,789 

162,984 

79,061 

19,344 

12,724 

19,030 

A nnuneiatou 5 __ 

7,865 

7,196 

4,390 

1,765 

689 

710 

Apparatus telegraph 


7,350 

87,749 

402,440 

1,833 

92,250 

104,259 

3,201 

40,845 

161,105 

243 

52 


Apparatus’, telephone. 
Batteries, elements for 

89,324 

16,903 

13,686 

6,866 

10,877 

14, <84 
12,448 















































10 


ELECTRICAL GOODS, 


Articles. 


Batteries, dry. 

Batteries,storage .... 
Batteries, porous ele¬ 
ments for. 

Batteries, jars. 

Bells...... 

Carbons for arc lamps . 

Cleats. 

Commutators (type of 

snap switch). 

Commutators. 

Current taps. 

Cut-outs. 

Fans. 

Fiber, vulcanized. 

Fuse plugs. 

Generators and motors 

Instruments. 

Insulating tape. 

Insulating tubes (con¬ 
duit). 

Insulators, glass. 

Insulators, porcelain... 

Lamps, arc.. 

Lamps, incandescent.. 
Material for telegraph. 
Material for telephone. 
Material, miscellaneous 

Meters. 

Motors, small. 

Push buttons. 

Rosettes.... 

Snap switches. 

Sockets. 

Switchboards. 

Wire and cable. 

Total. 


1910 

$21,775 

8,533 

14,682 

* 17,' 876 
72,270 


1911 


$37,233 

6,020 

18,978 
6,088 
29,308 
89,501 
2,853 


1912 


$49,495 
74,513 

20,554 
12,133 
22,517 
137,837 
5,648 


1913 


$45,640 
26,886 

18,367 

6,408 

20,959 

133,340 

10,621 


1914 


$45,615 
22,629 

18,921 

3,727 

7,437 

75,337 

9,963 


1915 


$38,798 
1,419 

13,125 

1,387 

4,937 

58,532 

1,694 


1916 


$48,511 

4,974 

19,218 

1,870 

10,267 

26,993 

2,654 


33,127 
11,283 


523,056 


27,199 


20,334 
11,885 
9,014 
24,862 
51,570 
11,856 
10,793 
877,166 
14,296 
19,702 


14,897 
14,727 
21,863 
27,228 
75,023 
18,989 
8,180 
1,637,757 
20,781 
30,089 


3,973 
13,954 
14,572 
40,657 
89,681 
32,120 
15,001 
1,088,029 
32,257 
43,500 


1,171 
6,744 
7,601 
24,147 
48,190 
35,626 
8,023 
642,844 
7,488 
26,215 


8,830 
4,707 
650 
4,774 
21,040 
11,999 
1,127 
278,921 
6,259 
33,572 


447 

782 

1,263 

8,693 

15,386 

8,506 

1,243 

111,065 

5,476 

20,389 


94,754 
720 
78,065 
112,589 
576,450 
35,197 
27,227 
544,326 
192,216 
43,448 
5,183 


112,324 


2,825,063 


5,540,575 


142,938 
143 
111,398 
131,441 
448,456 
25,992 
21,461 
438,038 
409,330 
43,039 
8,057 
9,034 
77,531 
57,994 


2,519,403 


6,449,744 


173,156 
215 

126,086 
125,840 
425,825 
72,788 
24,455 
751,942 
483,141 
123,095 
10,120 
20,714 
115,646 
77,895 


3,087,700 


8,982,978 


303,220 
345 
120,214 
225,559 
478,101 
41,653 
56,068 
532,210 
687,887 
88,595 
7,870 
13,162 
107,848 
60,471 
.32,647 
4,772,530 


9,756,234 


133,750 
1,267 
70,353 
62,231 
248,343 
54,128 
15,214 
999,574 
265,958 
17,015 
5,522 
8,961 
63,336 
55,553 
48,964 
3,275,674 


6,777,721 


42,049 
96 
37,089 
11,163 
211,488 
13,299 
4,153 
507,474 
305,573 
22,373 
734 
1,174 
22,378 
35,024 
11,876 
1,630,126 


63,890 
159 
22,293 
1,023 
300,131 
8,660 
1,967 
690,149 
295,195 
28,395 
1,119 
849 
18,405 
37,014 
3,483 
1,267,484 


;3,625,155 3,221,184 


1917 


$60,054 

4.389 

6.389 
1,794 

14,639 
13,087 
13,673 

772 
507 
9,259 
13,795 
8,385 
11,522 
5,060 
195,953 
54,329 
15,805 

41,083 
234 
25,477 
282 
470,173 
12,648 
3,513 
465,695 
339,259 
12,815 
255 
1,453 
24,617 
66,572 
11,989 
720,305 


2,781,765 


Until the beginning of the war the largest part of the electrical- 
goods imports always came from Europe, the combined values from 
England and Germany alone amounting to 76 per cent of the total 
in 1911, 85 per cent in 1913, and 52 per cent in 1915. From the 
United States in the same years the imports were, respectively, 7 
per cent, 6 per cent, and 20 per cent of the totals, the amount for 
1915 having been 27 per cent greater than that for 1913, which was 
the largest previous year. That the imports from the United States 
showed such a percentage gain in 1915 is due principally to the fact 
that the total from all countries was only 37 per cent of the 1913 
total. It was not until 1917 that the United States passed England 
in this trade, our exports to Argentina in that year being 50 per 
cent of the total. 

The following table shows the imports of electrical goods from 
the principal countries of the world, 1910 to 1917: 


Countries. 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

Austria-Hungary. 

Belgium. 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Netherlands. 

Sweden. 

Switzerland. 

United Kingdom. 

United States. 

All other. 

Total. 

$26,890 
159,216 
85,257 
2,443,268 
282,483 
95,218 
21,640 
19,261 
1,838,213 
553,791 
15,338 

$21,551 
84,577 
277,002 
3,328,156 
478,788 
99,090 
26,542 
18,341 
1,601,924 
475,991 
37, 782 

$12,654 
294,484 
197,612 
5,158,797 
409,032 
90,360 
23,924 
14,731 
2,232,970 
529,078 
21,336 

$26,606 
62,515 
142,183 
4,892,538 
513,245 
112,871 
24,593 
9,959 
3,358,711 
577.126 
35,887 

$13,973 
69,993 
184,149 
3,089,235 
847,644 
89,207 
15,335 
5,638 
2,186,215 
257,344 
18,988 

$819 

25,860 
262,457 
767,941 
142,833 
11,733 
31,051 
1,620,697 
735,478 
26,286 

$727 
34,358 
5,946 
424,043 
219,111 
5,301 
39,602 
1,562,362 
885,888 
43,846 

$23,492 
5,880 
233,484 
293,719 
9,695 
79,617 
669,035 
1,375,499 
91,344 

5,540,575 

6,449,744 

8,982,978 

9,756,234 

6, 777, 721 

3,625,155 3,221,184 

2,781,765 


















































































ARGENTINA. 


11 


IMPORTS BY COUNTRIES AND CLASSES. 

The following table gives the value of imports of electrical goods, 
with the amount furnished by the principal supplying countries, for 
1913, 1915, and 1916: 


Articles and countries. 

1913 

1915 

1916 

Accessories for underground cables. . . 

$162,984 

$19,385 

$12,724 

United States. 

40,470 

7,345 

11,520 

Germany. 

102,835 

35 


Spain. 

3,580 

124 

Switzerland. 


3,230 


United Kingdom. 

17,285 

4,195 

238 

Accessories, electrical, n. e. s. 

223,358 

225,372 

162,023 

United States_'.. 

61,420 

44,300 

62; 870 

Brazil. 


25 

1,470 

Germany. 

66,120 

24,925 


Italy. 

923 

11,150 

8 ,07 

Spain. 


'440 

2 ’ iio 

Switzerland. 



2’ 670 

United Kingdom. 

91,495 

143,735 

84,535 

Annunciators.•. 

7,196 

1,765 

689 

United States. 

788 

1,120 

668 

France. 

89 

181 


Germany. 

4,996 

528 


Apparatus, Morse telegraph . 

1,833 

243 

52 

United Kingdom. 

1,585 

121 

52 

Apparatus, telephone. . .. 

92,250 

16,903 

6,866 

United States. 

8,750 

1,013 

2,615 

Germany. 

28,630 

885 


Sweden.". 

11,830 

4,080 

586 

United Kingdom. 

33,030 

10,895 

3,655 

Batteries, elements for. 

104,259 

13,686 

10,877 

United States. . 

1,345 

330 

1,235 

France. . 

2,025 

1,025 

168 

Germany.* . 

81,390 

'527 


Italy...". 

807 

1,930 

150 

Spain. 

43 

2 , 120 

2,900 

United Kingdom. 

17,280 

7,695 

K415 

Batteries, dry. 

45,640 

38,798 

48,511 

United States. 

12,870 

22; 495 

33,275 

Denmark. 

7,135 

5,275 

3,271 

United Kingdom.. 

18,680 

10; 190 

10; 445 

Storage batteries. 

26,886 

1,419 

4,974 

United States. 

96 

242 

633 

United Kingdom. 

25,280 

1,160 

4,075 

Batteries, porous elements for. 

18,367 

13,125 

19,218 

United States. 

68 

58 

891 

France. 

2,775 

801 

1,090 

United Kingdom. 

12,710 

12,200 

17,210 

Batteries, jars. 

6,408 

1,387 

1,870 

France. 

1,085 

199 

Germany. . 

1,185 

318 


United Kingdom. 

3,890 

822 

1,790 

Bells, electric. 

20,959 

4,937 

10,267 

Knited States. 

4,795 

1,685 

10; 035 

France. 

419 

897 

8 

Germany. 

13,320 

1,745 


United Kingdom. 

2,085 

565 

145 

Carbons for electric light. 

133,340 

58,532 

26,993 

United States. 

729 

30,250 

20,865 

France.. 

1.230 

732 

1,300 

Germany. 

110,320 

15,300 

'315 

Italy 

206 

4,775 


Netherlands . 


'608 

449 

PnrflPTiav .. . 


1,445 


Spain . 

57 

3,935 

3,115 

United Kingdom. 

20,735 

1,325 

318 

. 

10,621 

1,694 

2,654 

United States . 

' 90 

3 

i;845 

Germany. .' . . 

9,405 

1,315 

219 

United Kingdom . 

267 

26 

374 























































































12 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


Articles and countries. 


Commutators (type of snap switch). 

United States. 

United Kingdom. 

Commutators, other. 

United States. 

Sweden.. 

United Kingdom. 

Current taps. 

United States. 

United Kingdom. 

Cut-outs. 

United States.. 

Germany... 

United Kingdom. 

Fans. 

United States. 

Germany. 

Italy.. 

United Kingdom. 

Fiber, vulcanized. 

United States. 

Germany. 

United Kingdom. 

Fuse plugs. 

United States. 

Germany. 

Generators and motors. 

United States. 

France... 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Spain. 

Sweden. 

Switzerland. 

United Kingdom. 

Instruments, ammeters, and voltmeters 

United States. 

France. 

Germany. 

United Kingdom. 

Insulating tape. 

United States. 

Italy. 

United Kingdom. 

Insulating tubes (conduit). 

United States. 

France.. 

Germany. 

Italy.. 

Netherlands.. 

Norway.. 

Switzerland. 

United Kingdom. 

Insulators, glass. 

United States. 

Insulators, porcelain and earthenware.. 

United States. 

Chile. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Spain. 

Sweden. 

United Kingdom.. 

Lamps, arc. 

United States. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

United Kingdom. 


1913 

1915 

1916 

$3,973 

$8,830 

$447 

2 

6,105 


2,451 

2,530 

423 

13,954 

4,707 

782 

3,235 

193 

2,692 

291 

262 

5,580 

4,300 

320 

14,572 

650 

1,263 

4,790 

487 

455 

1,070 

50 

139 

40,657 

4,774 

8,693 

2,360 

3,330 

4,300 

26,645 

671 

28 

11,560 

756 

4,360 

89,681 

21,040 

15,386 

13,970 

8,410 

4,960 

11,985 

5,370 

58,135 

2,084 

10,320 

5,525 

5,165 

104 

32,120 

11,999 

8,506 

2,355 

1,690 

4,260 

5,290 

418 

11 

22,855 

9,865 

3,835 

15,001 

1,127 

1,243 

49 

326 

186 

11,465 

728 

1,055 

1,088,029 

278,921 

111,065 

45,515 

32,400 

36,850 

19.280 

799 

90 

490,905 

28,375 

759 

67,565 

98,865 

29,400 

26 

3,035 

2,150 

5,970 

2,725 

2,050 

3,425 

10,675 

2,570 

451,005 

100,570 

36,530 

32,257 

6,259 

5,476 

975 

745 

2,560 

1,535 

1,890 

739 

22,850 

2,435 

5 

4,303 

1,140 

1,740 

43,500 

33,572 

20,389 

12,475 

26.730 

15,765 

3,755 

2,920 

2,385 

8,000 

2,395 

705 

303,220 

42,049 

63,890 

23,330 

1,200 

16,505 

3,235 

744 

2,675 

117,4f0 

16,125 

189 

1,410 

1,205 

5 

10,365 

8,020 

868 

698 

1,170 

8,310 

151,820 

11,770 

25,420 

345 

96 

159 

63 

96 

153 

120,214 

37,089 

22,293 

1,765 

4,465 

7,435 

2,910 

66,715 

4,105 

61 

194 

1,240 


5 

1,485 


302 

1,195 

45,170 

27,795 

7,660 

225,559 

11,163 

1,023 

702 

1,015 

3,075 

386 

210,675 


173 

3,350 


13,845 

3,705 

G13 


























































































ARGENTINA, 


13 


Lamps, Incandescent 
United States.... 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Netherlands. 

Switzerland. 

United Kingdom 


Articles and countries. 


1913 


1915 


1916 


$478,101 

41,075 

3,640 

232,490 

663 

105,125 

225 

64,880 


$211,488 

36,050 

1,020 

23,475 

13,245 

110,700 

2,220 

23,485 


$300,131 

87,990 

2,005 

168 

3,350 

177,420 

7,370 

20,790 


Materials, telegraph.. 
United States.... 

Sweden. 

United Kingdom 


41,653 

9,905 

4,700 

25,805 


13,299 

643 

4,825 

7,505 


8,660 


8,210 


Materials, telephone. 
United States.... 

Sweden. 

United Kingdom 


56,068 

7,035 

1,385 

23,960 


4,153 

1,230 

565 

2,095 


1,967 

1,145 

131 

639 


Materials, miscellaneous 

United States. 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Netherlands. 

Spain. 

Switzerland. 

United Kingdom... 


532,219 
38,890 
9,175 
225,360 
3,110 
600 
19 
4,365 
243,440 


507,474 

93,365 

4,660 

9,950 

45,340 

337 

942 

1,080 

351,095 


690,149 
84,385 
3,040 
254 
25,805 
2,930 
5,355 
12,700 
555,255 


Meters. 

United States 


687,887 305,573 

10,175 127,090 


Brazil. 

Chile. 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Switzerland. 

United Kingdom 


1,331 
630,725 
92 


43,505 


1,630 
393 
70,680 
59,160 
11,900 
34,400 


295,195 
184,150 
1,015 
278 
17,470 
590 
35 
5,790 
85,805 


Motors, small. 

United States.... 

Germany. 

United Kingdom 


88,595 

64,090 

15,475 

7,865 


22,373 

22,030 

23 

308 


28,395 

28,240 


123 


Push buttons. 

United States 
Germany. 


7,870 

421 

6,300 


734 

98 

496 


1,119 

685 

366 


Rosettes. 

United States 
Germany. 


13.162 

1,396 

11,700 


1,174 

756 

169 


849 

756 

93 


Snap switches. 

United States.... 

Germany. 

Italy. 

United Kingdom 


107,848 

41,720 

60,555 

1,415 

2,475 


22,378 

14,645 

2,705 

3,660 

1,130 


18,405 

14,030 

1,990 

387 

1,410 


Sockets. 

United States.... 

Chile. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

United Kingdom 


60,471 35,024 

10,065 8,850 


46,135 
*2*696' 


18,085 

6,425 

380 


37,014 

31,985 

1,540 

145 

1,905 

1,355 


Switchboards. 

United States.... 

Germany. 

United Kingdom 


32,647 

2,055 

11,800 

18,580 


11,876 

2,644 

1,563 

7,000 


3,483 

1,688 


1,615 


Wire and cable. 

United States.... 

Belgium. 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Netherlands. 

Spain. 

Sweden. 

United Kingdom 


4,772,530 

116,560 

31,890 

71,285 

2,227,600 

368,900 

1,615 


51 

1,953,060 


1,630,126 
232,810 


10,490 
22,390 
513,790 
18,450 


1,395 
830,145 


1,267,484 

209,235 


3,115 


338,340 

29,810 

10,820 

218 

675,680 


9,756,234 


3,625,155 


Grand total 


3,221,184 


























































































14 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


AGRICULTURE AND RELATED INDUSTRIES. 

The great staple products are wheat, cattle, and wool. The coun¬ 
try is eminently suited to agriculture and cattle raising, as it is 
mostly a vast level plain unbroken by either mountains or rivers. 
The colder southern section is devoted largely to sheep, while the 
south central and central sections are the grain and beef producing 
regions. The northern section is rich in woods of various kinds, but 
as yet it is very little exploited. 

Electricity plays an important part in the operations of the meat¬ 
packing establishments and terminal grain elevators, all machines 
being motor driven. There has been a movement on foot for several 
years to establish a number of country elevators and these will in¬ 
crease the demand for similar electrical equipment. This business 
will undoubtedly be obtained by some company working in conjunc¬ 
tion with the contractor who builds the elevators under Government 
concession. Little definite information on this situation is obtain¬ 
able, but it is probable that the work will be awarded to American 
firms which have been following the project from its inception. 

Practically all of the meat freezing and packing industry is in the 
hands of American concerns, and consequently the machinery is 
bought in the United States according to specifications prepared for 
their main plants. The two principal companies are Swift and 
Armour, both of which have interests also in Uruguay and Brazil. 

Wine is produced on a large scale in Mendoza and electric power 
is used in its preparation and handling, in making and repairing 
the barrels and other containers, and in lighting the buildings and 
deposits. Much of this power is generated by isolated plants con¬ 
sisting of Diesel engine sets located at the various establishments. 
The necessary material for renewals and additions to the equip¬ 
ment is bought direct from Buenos Aires houses or through their 
local agents. 

PRODUCTION OF MINERALS. 

Petroleum is now being extracted in quantities from the fields at 
Comodoro Kivadavia and electricity is used there, but not to the 
same extent as in some of the oil districts of the United States. 

Coal is also being produced, but only on a small scale and from sur¬ 
face mines. The present scarcity may give an impulse to the industry 
which will be lasting, as the lack of water power or abundant fuels 
is a great drawback to the country’s industrial development. All 
coal was formerly imported from England or the United States, at 
a fairly high cost, although not high enough to encourage the work¬ 
ing of national deposits. Taking advantage of the abnormal condi¬ 
tions, it is hoped that sufficient progress can be made to enable the 
industry to prosper and continue in competition with imported coal 
later on. This can be done only with the assistance of machinery, 
which presumably will be moved electrically. 

Since the same range of mountains which has been so productive 
in Bolivia and Chile also forms the western boundary of Argentina, 
it is reasonable to expect that the same minerals are present in 
Argentine territory as in the other countries and that some day they 
will be exploited. When this takes place there will be a demand for 


ARGENTINA, 


15 


electrical apparatus, but at present there is practically no mining 
which has reached the stage of development where machinery is 
required for anything other than the most simple operations. 

INTEREST IN MANUFACTURING. 

There has been a strong prejudice against national products gen¬ 
erally and in favor of imported goods; so much so that many articles 
carry foreign labels in order to deceive the buyer. All the factories, 
however, and the Government itself, are back of a movement to ac¬ 
credit the home product. Placards are posted in conspicuous places 
or displayed in show windows, the general theme of all being that to 
buy anything made by an Argentine workman is much to be preferred 
to sending the money out of the country to support foreign labor. 
There are frequent exhibitions of domestic industries and their 
products, one such being permanently and attractively housed on 
one of the busiest street corners in Buenos Aires. All of this is 
bearing fruit in an unmistakable turning of public opinion toward 
national goods. 

The following table is based upon the Government census for 1913, 
and shows the principal industries, number of employees, value of 
products, and amount of power used in each: 


Character of industry. 

Estab¬ 

lish¬ 

ments. 

Total pro¬ 
duction. 

Horse¬ 

power. 

Alcohol . 

187 

$3,364,134 
1,434,744 
34,709,770 
15,163,839 

1,456 

Artistic ironwork. 

35 

'242 

Bakeries. 

3,242 

29 

6,514 

8,680 

Breweries. 

Brick kilns, etc. 

953 

9;383^312 
15,150,120 

2,090 

3,970 

2,337 

657 

Carpentry, painting, and horseshoeing. 

4,681 

Chocolate and candy. 

299 

8'761'916 
8,772,495 
1,455,873 
2,300,725 
2,024,445 

Clothing, etc. 

448 

Cleaners and dyers. 

124 

1,031 

191 

Coffee roasters, etc. 

54 

Confectionery. 

185 

113 

Cigars and tobacco. 

179 

2; 162'705 
22,471,474 
10,722,594 
4,451,572 

95 

Cigarette factories. 

55 

1,191 

Cotton and woolen mills. 

81 

6,887 

588 

Crackers and cakes. 

207 

Construction companies. 

197 

565 

Dairies, cheese factories, etc. 

8,161 

22,439,534 
3,300,508 

3,317 

Dressmakers. 

'574 

15 

Extracts of tannin and preparation of firewood. 

493 

17,778,903 

63,282,112 

12,874 
26,531 
14 161 

Flour mills. 

401 

Foundries and metal works. 

1,177 

24;987;634 
9,771,501 
2,416,961 
1,803,173 
1,807,950 

Furniture, trunks, and tapestry. 

L058 

4 

2,206 

17 

Fishing. 

Gas fitters, etc. 

353 

25 

Glass factories. 

16 

269 

Grain elevators. 

19 

6,137 

Hats. 

92 

3,662,194 

1 298 

Ice and aerated waters. 

742 

7,290,659 
4,098,250 
16,200,466 
20,884,830 
13,775,247 
15,409,435 

7,965 

43 

Jewelry, watches, etc. 

769 

Jute and cotton sacks. 

24 

1,248 

2,388 

1,518 

Leather shoes. 

231 

Liquors.. 

326 

Lithographers and printers. 

938 

2,985 

326 

Leather goods. 

986 

9,746,658 

8,261,764 

5,951,700 

114,004,927 

744,987 

5,397,755 

Macaroni and pastes. 

332 

4,216 

Match factories. 

16 

610 
24,287 
797 

Meat-packing houses. 

13 

Ore smelters. 

29 

Paving companies. 

14 

140 

Paper and cardboard mills. 

11 

4; 922; 945 
1,062,500 
2,750,706 
209,950 
9,328,448 
36,248,745 

10,860 

265 

Petroleum refineries.. 

1 

Preparing and refining oil. 

22 

969 

Preparation of salted hides. 

8 

55 

Preparation of yerba mate. 

31 

1,128 

Preparation of wine. 

4,317 

14,651 


Employ¬ 

ees. 


1,133 
827 
27,105 
2,599 
10,485 
18,454 
3,854 
4,986 
1,641 
517 
1,856 
2,826 
4,295 
8,384 
2,062 
7,664 
28,589 
3,754 
19,616 
5,909 
16,109 
8,101 
278 
2,321 
2,136 
1,666 
2,362 
3,864 
2,321 
1,808 
12,869 
3,035 
11,491 
5,497 
3,880 
3,094 
14,687 
793 
1,932 
1,901 
220 
468 
45 
1,051 
16,362 
























































16 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


Character of industry. 

Estab¬ 

lish¬ 

ments. 

Total pro¬ 
duction. 

Horse¬ 

power. 

Employ¬ 

ees. 

Rope and cloth shoes. 

241 

$7,133,657 
19,220,005 
4,828,491 
9,123,774 

1,097 

13,514 

69 

4,764 

Sawmills. 

305 

7,378 

7,052 

2,092 

14,685 

Shoemakers.. 

2,243 

Soap factories. 

294 

964 

Sugar refineries. 

44 

59,754,304 

21,554,202 

13,655,719 

2,878,153 

8,519,085 

12,503,539 

1,038,545 

62,487,327 

57,511 

34 

Tailors. 

3,083 

189 

21,380 

Tanneries. 

5,416 

3,474 

Tinsmiths, etc. 

974 

133 

3,071 

8,291 

5,903 

255 

Wagons and carriages. 

1,270 

736 

3,882 

6,906 

885 

Woodworking. 

Wool washing. 

10 

Miscellaneous. 

6,971 

18,479 

48,093 


Total. 

48,474 

791,260,627 

286,798 

400,285 



RAW MATERIAL-SCARCITY OF FUEL. 

The raw material for much of the output has to be imported, so that 
the only advantages enjoyed by home manufactures over imported 
goods lie in a protective tariff, the higher ocean freight rates for 
finished goods than for raw materials, and lower labor costs. Min¬ 
erals are found to some extent, but mining is conducted on too small 
a scale to be of any real assistance to the manufacturer. Wool and 
hides are abundant and cotton and timber production can be greatly 
increased if proper incentives are offered. The one thing that is 
lacking is cheap fuel. No large water falls are available, and wood, 
imported and native coal, and petroleum are the most common sub¬ 
stitutes. Practically the only solution to this problem is for fac¬ 
tories to group themselves about a central station of large capacity 
such as the two in Buenos Aires, and take electric power from them. 
Having an installation of many thousands of kilowatts they can 
offer rates that are less than the cost of current produced on a small 
scale in isolated plants. As a matter of fact, the rates are as low 
as those quoted in many cities in the United States, which is remark¬ 
able, considering the great cost of importing everything which enters 
into the production of electricity. Crude petroleum, for instance, 
costs over $40 per metric ton and Cardiff coal nearly as much. 

One effect or this condition is that a large number of small pro¬ 
ducers of electrical energy or users of other forms of power have 
changed over to central-station service, thus creating a greater de¬ 
mand for motors and all kinds of wiring devices and accessories. 
Undoubtedly once having become accustomed to this reliable form 
of power, they will not want to return to the old ways, and the busi¬ 
ness which is now being built up will be permanent. It is not to 
be expected that this will be large in comparison with that of a 
similar industrial center in the United States, as it could never attain 
such volume, but as compared with business previous to 1914 it al¬ 
ready represents a marked advance. 

MAKING OF ELECTRICAL DEVICES. 

Offsetting, somewhat, this greater demand for motors and wiring 
devices, is the increasing local production of certain lines of elec¬ 
trical material which were formerly imported in fairly large quan¬ 
tities, so that the net result will probably be an importation of goods 
























ARGENTINA. 


17 


to the same value as in earlier years, but not of the same kind. A 
good example of this change is to be found in the trade in chande¬ 
liers and fixtures. These articles can not be brought into the country 
in competition with local products unless they are of unusual or 
very original design, several firms being in position to make them 
in types most acceptable to the country. Of somewhat less impor¬ 
tance, but still showing the general trend, is the manufacture of 
insulated wire, direct and alternating current meters, and all kinds 
of heating and cooking devices. On a still smaller scale there are 
shops turning out dry batteries, carbon brushes, and insulated conduit 
(Bergmann type). Several years ago the manufacture of incan¬ 
descent lamps was begun, but the business was unsuccessful. The 
company was permitted to liquidate and retire from business in 
1918, it being understood that others were to attempt to carry on 
the manufacture with the same machinery, which is of European 
make. Although this report was not confirmed, it indicates the 
present interest in manufacturing. 

The locally made devices are, in general, quite as satisfactory as 
the imported, although not nearly so well finished. The crude ap¬ 
pearance is more than made up, however, by the difference in price, 
which is sufficient to induce many to purchase. It would not be sur¬ 
prising, therefore, to find many Argentine-made articles, such as wire 
and cable, irons and small heating devices, dominating this market in 
the not very distant future. A tariff that gives more protection than 
the one at present in force is now being proposed, and if it goes 
through it will have a very adverse effect upon the imports in these 
lines. 

PROTECTIVE TARIFF ADVOCATED. 

In this connection it is interesting to note the opinion of Mr. Carlos 
A. Tornquist, a leading Argentine financier and economist: 

The constant decline in the volume of our imports during the years of war 
has operated favorably upon the national economy. The necessity for supply¬ 
ing this shortage in manufactured products and the very satisfactory prices 
offering for them have given rise to a considerable and varied industrial activity 
in the country, which in a short time has made possible the export of many 
industrial products in relatively important quantities to certain of the European 
belligerent countries. This productive evolution of the country will be a factor 
of vital importance in the national prosperity once the war is over, when it is 
logical to expect that some of the favorable factors above indicated will 
disappear. 

Every system of national political economy ought necessarily to tend toward 
producing a favorable balance for the country in its annual “ balance of pay¬ 
ments,” solidifying thus, as time goes on, the economic independence of the 
nation so far as that is possible. Our unavoidable duty, therefore, is to 
support our new manufacturing industries and to stimulate their expansion 
by intelligent protective legislation in order that their products may replace, 
in our own consuming market, the merchandise we have hitherto imported 
from abroad, and perhaps even compete advantageously with the foreign 
article in the foreign markets. Many industries encounter favorable condi¬ 
tions in the country, seeing that we produce large quantities of the raw ma¬ 
terial they require. Moreover, we ought to guard against the unfavorable 
developments to which our foreign trade may be exposed after the war. Shall 
we have a market, secure and firm for our agricultural and pastoral products, 
at the moment when we shall be compelled by necessity to renew almost our 
entire stock of merchandise, thus putting the “balance of payments” to a 
severe test? 

120766°—19-2 



18 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


Some of the larger factories obtained trained men from abroad 
to take charge while the operatives were learning, and they have 
made a point of developing competent assistants. From time to 
time these have drifted away to smaller factories and shops, form¬ 
ing in this way a nucleus around which is growing up a well de¬ 
fined skilled-labor element. The education of mechanics in various 
lines has progressed so that, so far as labor is concerned, the pros¬ 
pects for industrial expansion are becoming brighter each year. 

ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS. 

It is customary to employ architects for all building operations of 
any kind whatever, and some opportunity is offered for the con¬ 
tractor or manufacturer to influence the owner with regard to the 
electrical equipment to be installed. Little effort along this line is 
made as a general rule, but in such instances as have been noted the 
success obtained justifies the opinion that if the practice were fol¬ 
lowed more extensively, very valuable propaganda in favor of better 
materials could be carried on. In the absence of any real rules or 
regulations relating to electrical installation, this offers one of the 
best ways, and about the only practical way, of accomplishing more 
or less the purpose for which such rules are usually designed. 

There are no consulting electrical engineers. European manufac¬ 
turing concerns always made a point of having their own engineers, 
who were always at the disposal of prospective customers. This was 
done principally to discourage independent engineers from control 
of the market. They charged nothing for the advice of the engineers 
or even for laying out entire plants, for while this added to the over¬ 
head expenses of the offices, it was more than offset by the growing 
number of installations which they were able to obtain with this 
cooperation. Naturally, the engineers recommended the products of 
their own factories, and it was rare indeed that a person who availed 
himself of this service purchased the material elsewhere. It was not 
an uncommon practice for these companies to furnish foremen for 
the erection of new plants or machinery, and operators were fre¬ 
quently engaged from among their own staff, or from that of the 
central station. In this way the country was becoming filled with 
plants containing European machinery, run by men familiar only 
with those types, and ready at all times to recommend their use. 

A strongly financed American company or combination adopting 
liberal policies in this and other respects would be able to go far 
toward meeting this competition and gaining for itself a consider¬ 
able portion of the new business which will make Argentina one of 
the best foreign markets for electrical goods. 

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS. 

More and more of the young men of Latin America are turning to 
engineering in its various forms and making good in it as a profes¬ 
sion. In Argentina the Industrial School of the Nation (Escuela 
Industrial de la Nacion), under the jurisdiction of the Minister of 
Justice and Public Instruction, has been accumulating very com- 


ARGENTINA. 


19 


plete laboratory and electric-power equipment.® This school has 
about 900 students, and in electricity, which is one of its strongest 
branches, it gives a special two-year course, after the four years 
of general study. Relatively slight attention is given to theory, 
as the object is to prepare the students for high-class semitechnical 
work in industrial establishments. In addition to this, which is the 
largest school of the sort, there are now schools which offer courses 
in the practical side only, while nearly all the universities have been 
enlarged by the addition of complete engineering departments, 
with a laboratory and workrooms. It is in these institutions that the 
students gain tlieir first ideas concerning the machinery which they 
handle, and the methods which they study make a lasting impression 
on them. Perhaps it was this fact that influenced European man¬ 
ufacturers to sell machinery, charts, models, etc., to the schools at 
a very reduced figure, or even to give them free of cost. German 
devices are greatly in the majority, and the Industrial School of 
the Nation acknowledged receipt from German companies during 
1916 of some 200 articles, including meters, flexible cord, insulators, 
and transformers. In the same year, three American companies 
donated a few articles, which make a very poor showing in com¬ 
parison with those above mentioned. 

Opportunity for legitimate advertising is offered here, and it 
should neither be overlooked nor underestimated. Any company, 
with permanent representation in Buenos Aires, could inform itself 
regarding the method to be followed in offering goods of its man¬ 
ufacture to the several engineering schools, resting assured that 
they are all only too glad to receive any sort of device or material 
for enriching their equipment, especially if it be something the 
students can handle and test, or something which marks a new step 
in the program of instruction or design. 

TECHNICAL SOCIETIES. 

There are three well-established organizations devoted to engineer¬ 
ing, of which two are purely electrical. These are the Institute Sud- 
americano de Electrotecnicos y Mecanicos, and the Asociacion Ar¬ 
gentina de Electrotecnicos. 

The members of the former are principally wiremen and station 
operators and the institute, therefore, is in an excellent position to 
disseminate practical information where it will do the most good. It 
issues a semimonthly magazine containing translations from foreign 
publications, as well as original information and contributions fur¬ 
nished by its members. 

The Asociacion Argentina de Electrotecnicos is composed almost 
entirely of graduate engineers who are in private practice or in the 
employ of large companies or of the Argentine Government. They 
hold regular meetings for the presentation of papers on subjects of 
current interest and arrange frequent visits of inspection to local 
engineering works. 


a A detailed account of the equipment in this school will be found in a publication of 
the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce entitled “ Markets for Machinery and 
Machine Tools in Argentina,” Special Agents Series No. 116, hy J. A. Massel, which can 
he obtained for 20 cents from the district offices of the Bureau or from the Superintendent 
of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington. 



20 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


The library is well equipped with books on various phases of the 
development and application of electricity, a majority of them being 
of European origin, as relatively few American books have been 
translated into Spanish. All the current engineering magazines pub¬ 
lished in the United States, however, are received regularly. It 
would be a considerable incentive to a closer study of the articles 
contained in them if all figures and dimensions were given in the 
units of the metric as well as the English system. In the latter 
case it is always necessary for the reader to make the conversion, 
and this is often difficult and always annoying. It causes a good deal 
of surprise to foreign engineers that we still cling to such units 
when dealing with scientific subjects, when the metric system has 
been made obligatory in so many countries much less developed tech¬ 
nically than the United States. 

The influence felt in the association is largely European, owing to 
the presence of European engineers and the active interest in it taken 
by the central station and large manufacturing companies. Re¬ 
cently a few engineers with training in the United States have en¬ 
deavored to bring American standards into greater prominence, and 
anything that will encourage and assist them will be sure to bring 
good results in the future. 

TECHNICAL MAGAZINES. 

In addition to the official organs of the foregoing societies, there 
are several magazines devoted to engineering and technical matters, 
and these frequently have sections especially devoted to electrical 
subjects. Foreign magazines are eagerly consulted in libraries, and 
those who can read languages other than Spanish are usually sub¬ 
scribers to one or more for their own account. The possible circu¬ 
lation would hardly justify an American magazine in going to the 
expense of getting out a Spanish edition if only electrical subjects 
were reviewed, but this would probably be practicable if other 
branches of engineering were also covered. 

The following are the most important technical magazines pub¬ 
lished in Argentina: 

La Electricidad y La Maquinaria. Illustrated technical journal. Official 
organ of the South American Institute of Electricians and Mechanics (Insti- 
tuto Sudamericano de Electrotecnicos y Mecanicos). 

La Industria de Cueros y Calzados. Illustrated journal devoted to the shoe 
and leather industry. 

La Ingenierfa. Illustrated technical journal. The official bimonthly publica¬ 
tion of the National Engineers’ Club (Centro Nacional de Ingenieros). 

Las Nuevas Tendencias Econdmicas. Illustrated monthly journal of inter¬ 
national economy. 

El Constructor. Semitechnical magazine devoted to construction, construc¬ 
tion material, and kindred topics. 

El Chauffeur. Magazine published in the interests of automobiling. 

El Inventor. Magazine purporting to further interest in invention and to 
stimulate national inventors. 

Revista Azucarera. Monthly magazine and review of the sugar industry, both 
at home and abroad. Official organ of the Sugar Institute (Centro Azucarero). 

Revista Tdcnica. Technical review of industrial progress at home and abroad. 

Boletin de la Asociacidn Argentina de Electrotdcnicos. Monthly publication 
and official bulletin of the Argentine Electrical Engineers’ Association. 


ARGENTINA. 


21 


TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. 

The excellent transportation system of which Buenos Aires is the 
center makes of it the leading city in Argentina from the importer’s 
and exporter’s standpoint. Railroads radiate to all parts of the in¬ 
terior, and the numerous trunk lines are interconnected at frequent 
intervals with branches which tap the large agricultural and cattle¬ 
raising regions of the several Provinces in the central part of the 
Republic. There is thus provided rapid means of reaching all of 
the cities and towns of importance in the interior. The principal 
offices of nearly all business houses are located in Buenos Aires, 
where they are in a position to look after the shipments and pay¬ 
ments of all goods consigned to them. To a small extent the im¬ 
ported goods are transported to Paraguay, Uruguay, and occa¬ 
sionally also to Bolivia and southern Brazil. Various river and ocean 
lines maintain communications with ports on the River Plate and 
in southern Argentina. 

All local transportation such as warehouse trucking and the mov¬ 
ing of goods from railway stations to the remote towns of the in¬ 
terior is carried on by horse-drawn vehicles. The city streets in al¬ 
most all cases are well paved and adaptable to the use of automo¬ 
biles, but the use of these vehicles is confined at present almost en¬ 
tirely to Buenos Aires. Electric trucks are unknown, and no effort 
is being made to push their sale. Previous efforts in this direction 
have proved quite unsuccessful, owing to various causes, among 
which may be mentioned the high cost of the vehicles themselves 
and the expense of maintenance and operation in comparison with 
horses, which are raised locally in great numbers and which are rela¬ 
tively very cheap. 

A glance at the list of the numerous trans-Atlantic steamship lines 
touching at Buenos Aires in normal times shows that all the impor¬ 
tant European nations have been able to make frequent direct ship¬ 
ments, whereas we have had to rely principally upon whatever 
steamers might be competing for our business. Within the last year 
or so a Japanese steamship company has established a direct line be¬ 
tween Japan and Buenos Aires, indicating an intention to push trade 
between Japan and Argentina. 

IMPORTANCE OF SPANISH CATALOGUES. 

All correspondence should be in Spanish, since that is the language 
of the country. An exception can be made, of course, in case it is 
known that the customer understands and accepts English; but it 
often happens that the manager of a native house knows English 
and none of his employees do, so that even in this case Spanish is 
almost necessary. Catalogues and circulars intended for general 
distribution must without exception be in Spanish, if they are to 
attract any attention or keep out of the waste basket. Very few 
persons will take time to decipher a catalogue if they have reason to 
believe that it will not interest them, as is too frequently the case, 
and consequently many never even attempt to translate English 
catalogues. 


22 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


The metric system is the standard and the only one generally 
understood, while in many countries its use is actually obligatory. 
It should always be used on all packages and in documents or litera¬ 
ture of any sort. 

PATENTS AND TRADE-MARKS. 

Owing to the present system of registering trade-marks and patents 
it is highly desirable for any firms contemplating the introduction 
of a device with a well known patent or trade-mark to register it 
first and thus prevent unscrupulous persons from pirating it or 
reserving the right to its use in their own name. As in various other 
countries, cases have been known where prominent articles have been 
kept entirely out of the market, or where the real owner has had to 
pay a high price to secure the right to use his own mark which had 
been registered by another. Competent trade-mark attorneys in this 
country or in Argentina are available for taking care of this matter 
at a minimum of expense. A complete treatise on this subject was 
published in a bulletin of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com¬ 
merce, entitled “ Registration of Trade Marks in Latin America,” 
Tariff Series No. 31, which can be obtained from the Superintendent 
of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, or from the 
district offices of the Bureau for 5 cents. 

A convention between Argentina and the United States provides 
protection in either country for devices patented in the other, and 
exporters should take advantage of it by applying for recognition of 
priority of manufacture, thereby enjoying for a term of years not 
to exceed the life of the original patent, the sole right to import or 
manufacture the article in Argentina. 

BANKING AND CREDIT. 

In addition to banks of Argentine nationality, there are many for¬ 
eign banks, including one or more from all the leading export 
nations, including England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, 
and the United States. There is, therefore, no lack of facilities for 
taking care of such financial operations as may be required. The 
direct benefits derived from assistance given to our business houses by 
the two American banks have been very great, principally because 
we no longer have to depend upon more or less friendly foreign 
organizations for handling our commercial paper or for advice 
regarding the credit standing of local merchants. The service offered 
by these banks is too well known to need particular comment here, 
but it might be pointed out that in addition to furnishing general 
market reports on the important commodities and putting local 
importers in touch with American manufacturers they give special 
help to their depositors according to the individual needs of each, 
thus keeping them closely in touch with the market. 

The fear of losing money through bad debts has undoubtedly kept 
many exporters from extending the terms of payments which are 
essential to a successful foreign trade. Most of this fear is un¬ 
founded, as is well known by all who have taken time to get an 
understanding of conditions here. Business honor is as high and a 
good name is as well guarded among respectable firms as anywhere 
in the world. Any house which upon investigation is found to 


ARGENTINA. 


23 


be entitled to credit is sure to take good care to meet all its obliga¬ 
tions at the proper time. 

All the European banks make a special point of extending credit 
to reliable concerns and it is said by various business houses that their 
loss from bad debts has been less than among their corresponding 
domestic clients. It should be emphasized that in the future it will 
be impossible to strengthen our relations with the large importers of 
electrical goods unless we are willing to offer a reasonable length of 
time within which to make payments, and that in so doing there is 
little risk for the house which takes advantage of the numerous 
facilities for obtaining credit information. 

TERM OF PAYMENT. 

The time allowed for payments before the war varied, but the 
standard terms usually offered and accepted were 90 days from re¬ 
ceipt of draft with an option of a 2 per cent discount for cash upon 
delivery of documents. These terms are satisfactory to-day in the 
majority of cases, although the cash discount should be offered with 
some discretion, for while most dealers recognize its value and take 
advantage of it, there are others who feel that their credit is being 
reflected upon and that they ought to receive the lower price as well 
as the 90 days in which to pay. Where longer credit was necessary 
it was common to give 120 days, while not infrequently goods were 
even placed on consignment. It may be said that the extraordinarily 
long credits were not wanted and as a rule were resorted to more to 
keep out competitors or get what seemed to be a particularly good 
piece of business than as a regular practice. One of the principal 
houses exporting wiring devices and small supplies to Argentina was 
the Liidenscheider Metall Werke, A. G., Liidenscheid, Germany. On 
its billhead this company stated that all bills are “payable at 
Liidenscheid in 90 days net or in 30 days with a 2 per cent discount.” 
These were the domestic terms and they were modified for export 
business so as to permit payment of costs with the 2 per cent discount 
upon receipt of documents or 90 days net after arrival of draft. The 
former meant practically two months and the latter five months 
from date of invoice until receipt of money by the factory, but by 
the use of the special banking facilities which were available to the 
firm it obtained 80 per cent of the value of the invoice immediately 
upon making shipments so that it had only 20 per cent tied up dur¬ 
ing the credit period, the rest being used to carry on the business. 
By extending this principle to the limit its capital could be made to 
do the work of three or four times the amount tied up in long-time 
credits. If it has been a lack of some similar advantage that has 
hitherto made our manufacturer hesitate about giving compara¬ 
tively liberal terms, a proper use of the trade acceptance and the 
facilities offered by the American banks established in foreign coun¬ 
tries will save the situation. 

For a complete treatise on the German banking system as applied 
to foreign trade see a bulletin issued by the Bureau of Foreign and 
Domestic Commerce entitled “German Foreign-Trade Organiza¬ 
tion,” Miscellaneous Series No. 57, which can be obtained from the 
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Wash¬ 
ington, D. C., or from the district offices of the Bureau for 20 cents. 


24 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


GOOD PACKING NECESSARY 

So much has already been written on the subject of proper and 
improper packing that anything which could be said here would 
probably be useless repetition. However, it is well to mention that a 
great deal of the exporter’s reputation rests upon his ability to solve 
this problem satisfactorily. It resolves itself principally into putting 
his merchandise into boxes strong enough to withstand the knocking 
about at the terminals and yet light enough to keep freight and duty 
charges at a minimum where these items are figured on weight. 
Many of the small electrical devices are made largely of porcelain, 
which is comparatively fragile; consequently there must be some sort 
of cushion between the individual pieces or they will knock together 
and there will be a high percentage of breakage. This breakage not 
only causes extra expense to the recipient but leaves him without 
the necessary goods for his stock. If the factory undertakes to make 
good the loss on breakages due to careless packing it should remember 
that this is not merely a question of sending new material, but as the 
consignee has paid freight, duty, and landing charges on the useless 
as well as the salable material these expenses should also be allowed 
to him if he is to come out whole on the deal. 

Lamps have for some time been arriving with practically no losses. 
Some foreign companies pack them in boxes or barrels with plenty 
of excelsior and straw, and burlap pads on the external cover, but 
this method is gradually being replaced by the use of cartons or spe¬ 
cial composition knock-down boxes which are light in weight but 
elastic and more than strong enough for the purpose. They will 
not do, however, for heavy articles such as small motors unless pro¬ 
tected by an outer box or crate of wood. 

PACKING MACHINERY, WIRE, ETC. 

All machinery should be bolted to stout skids and in addition 
braced to the box so that no heavy parts are left unsupported to 
swing, pendulum like, when the box is dropped on its side, thus bring¬ 
ing all the strain on the holding-down bolts. In Buenos Aires the 
boats tie up to the wharf and all unloading is done by modem cranes, 
so there is comparatively little rough handling. Later, however, the 
machinery may be sent where no cranes are available and it is well 
to have it packed to withstand hard usage. 

There is no way of assuring that a piece of machinery will be kept 
upright all the time, but if this is highly desirable it should be 
packed so that it is much easier to handle in this position than in 
any other, and this will go a long way toward securing the desired 
result. One manufacturer stenciled a large box with the design of a 
chain to indicate unmistakably how the lifting slings should be 
placed, but unfortunately he left some projecting skids which made 
it possible to lift the box in another manner. That was exactly what 
was done, with disastrous results to the machinery which it contained. 

Wire is generally packed in rolls, even for domestic shipment, but 
a more compact roll than the one usually used would take somewhat 
less room and arrive in better condition. Burlap wrapping should 
also be used rather than paper, as it is more durable. The slight sav- 


ARGENTINA. 


25 


ing in freight and the neater appearance are appreciated by the cus¬ 
tomer and the slight extra trouble is well worth while. 

A saving can sometimes be made by strapping together several 
small items of one kind, as dispatching charges are based on the 
number of packages regardless of size. Each manufacturer should 
study such points with particular regard to his own product to see 
how it best lends itself to economical but secure packing. 

SUGGESTIONS ON PACKING. 

Where an article is trying to compete with or replace one which 
has long been on the market it is very important that it be packed as 
nearly as possible like the latter. For example, a certain number of 
meters of wire per coil or a certain number of lamps per case may be 
desirable if they are to be resold to small dealers who are accustomed 
to calculating prices on that particular basis. It is one of the first 
principles of successful business to assist the customer and not to 
oppose him, to give him what he wants and not try to force him 
to take whatever happens to be in stock; and this principle should 
be adhered to even more strictly in foreign trade than in domestic, 
as our most formidable competitors have made big advances by at¬ 
tending to just such details. 

In general, conditions surrounding the handling of freights in Ar¬ 
gentina are as good as in other countries and extraordinary pack¬ 
ing, such as the use of tin lined or extra substantial boxes, is seldom 
required unless the goods are to be reshipped to some remote section. 
It is always wise, though, to consult with the customer in case of 
doubt, as he can advise regarding the requirements, knowing the 
destination and probable treatment to be expected. If he asks for 
something out of the ordinary it is because he has some good rea¬ 
son for it and every effort should be made to comply with his request. 

MARKET FOR ELECTRICAL GOODS. 

The demand in Argentina for electrical goods of all kinds is larger 
than in any other South American country and for a normal year 
may be computed as being at least $7,000,000. Considering the pros¬ 
perity of the country and the fact that all lines of import have 
dwindled in the last few years to a small percentage of the normal, 
this figure may be exceeded for the first year or two following the 
peace treaty. In 1913, the year of greatest imports, the total 
amounted to $9,756,234, and of this sum the United States furnished 
slightly less than 6 per cent, or goods to the value of $577,126; while 
Germany, for many years the leader in this market, furnished over 
50 per cent, or more than $4,890,000 worth. In 1917 the conditions 
were reversed, and the United States furnished one-half of the im¬ 
ports, but the value was only $1,375,499, as the total was scarcely 
more than one-quarter of the 1913 total. With this continuous fall¬ 
ing off in imports for several years, it is evident that there is going 
to be a greater amount of buying than ever, once market, shipping, 
and financial conditions become more nearly normal. American 
goods have become known to a much greater extent than ever before, 
and it should be comparatively easy to retain the proportion of the 
business which we now enjoy if the trade is properly handled. 


26 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


It must be observed, however, that the great amount of European 
capital invested in electric plants, railroads, and tramway systems 
and the influence of the business houses which have been established 
in the market for many years are powerful factors favoring the re¬ 
turn of the trade to its original channels, and it must not be ex¬ 
pected that we can keep our present share without earning it by hard 
work. 

The greatest field is for lamps, meters, small motors, wire, and 
wiring devices, including a low grade of insulated conduit. After 
these come accessories for underground cables, porcelain insulators, 
telephone apparatus, and a large number of devices which have a 
small but steady sale. 

The most important factors in developing this trade are the 
investment of capital, the establishment of agencies or branches, and 
especially the presence of a larger number of American salesmen 
and engineers. The difficulties and competition met with in this 
market are not likely to decrease in the near future and it is im¬ 
perative, therefore, that we work against them more vigorously and 
cater to the trade more intelligently than in the past. Only firms or 
combinations with strong financial backing, willing to devote much 
of their energy exclusively to foreign problems, can make any appre¬ 
ciable progress toward maintaining effectively the lead which is 
now ours. 

CENTRAL STATIONS. 

There are estimated to be over 350 central stations in Argentina 
and a list of 230 is published by the Asociacion Argentina de Elec- 
trotecnicos. It will be noted that many of them are of 150 kilowatts 
capacity or less, so that until they are materially enlarged there will 
not be enough current to permit the use of electricity for anything 
but lighting. The first thing necessary for the establishment of these 
plants is a contract with the municipality for the public lighting. 
Such contracts are made for a period of 20 years, renewable an in¬ 
definite number of times, and with this as a basis the company is 
assured of a certain income which justifies it in beginning operation. 
It can then solicit as much private load as it desires and in this way 
build up a profitable business. As long as its service is satisfactory it 
has the field to itself, since no one else cares to enter without some 
definite assurance of what load can be obtained; but instances have 
occurred where cooperative companies have been formed to compete 
with stations that have neglected the customers’ interests. People in 
general are quite alive to and appreciate good service and advanced 
methods of administration. 


FUEL USED. 

Steam engines are still the chief type of prime movers, although 
Diesel engines are gaining rapidly in popularity because the petro¬ 
leum obtained from the Government-controlled fields of Comodoro 
Rivadavia is suitable for use in the crude state as it comes from the 
wells. There are no local coal fields, and with one or two exceptions 
there are no sources of hydraulic power, consequently the use of inter¬ 
nal-combustion engines received considerable impetus a few years 


ARGENTINA. 


27 


ago when an abundant supply of fuel was promised from national 
wells. Crude petroleum then sold for 27 pesos ($11.46) per metric ton 
of 1,000 kilos (2,204.6 pounds). In January the price had been raised 
step by step to 110 pesos ($46.71), but there was no alternative to its 
use, as there was practically no coal available. Other fuels are also 
very much used, the principal ones being wood, sawdust, and wheat 
bran. The German-owned station in Buenos Aires is using wood for 
over half its production, having had to change completely the sys¬ 
tems formerly in operation for handling and burning coal. The 
Compama Italo-Argentina has designed a special type of feeder for 
blowing sawdust and bran into the unmodified firebox of its oil¬ 
burning boilers, so that both of these fuels are successfully combined 
with petroleum in the proportion of four parts of bran or sawdust 
to one of petroleum. 

It is a common thing to put into the municipal contracts a clause 
providing for an increase in price of current which the company may 
charge with a rise in the price of fuel. In Buenos Aires, for instance, 
the companies can increase this price 1J per cent for every 25-cent 
rise in the cost of a ton of coal piled in their storage yards, the base 
price of coal to be between 7 pesos gold ($6,755) and 8J pesos gold 
($8.20) per metric ton. On the other hand, the price to private con¬ 
sumers must be reduced from time to time according as the annual 
production of kilowatt hours passes certain limits set in the contract. 
We thus have the peculiar condition that the municipality and the 
tramways, which have contracts containing the above clause, are 
paying for current in bulk as much and even more than many per¬ 
sons pay for house-lighting service. 

TENDENCIES IN OPERATION. 

There is a noticeable tendency toward the formation of operating 
companies to take over small plants, there being several such com¬ 
panies with eight or more plants, and a number with two or three. 
The object of this is obviously to secure greater economy in opera¬ 
tion and administration, and it appears to give results that are very 
satisfactory to the companies, although there have been instances 
where the inhabitants of the places where these small trusts operate 
have complained that they were being exploited and have even 
erected opposition plants. 

Another pronounced feature of central-station control is the wan¬ 
ing interest in municipal ownership. Many plants are still run by 
municipalities, but no new ones are being acquired and several are 
on the market. Where it has been impossible to sell, the munici¬ 
palities have been glad to rent for a term of years, indicating that 
sooner or later all the plants will have passed into the hands of 
private concerns. 

COMPANIA ITALO-ARGENTINA DE ELECTRICIDAD. 

The newest central station in Buenos Aires is that of the Com- 
pania Italo-Argentina de Electricidad, which received a concession 
from the municipality of Buenos Aires in 1912. This concession 
expires on December 31, 1962, at which time all grounds, buildings, 
machinery, distribution systems, and accessories which were installed 
in the first three years after approval of the plans for the original 


28 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


station of 15,000 kilowatts revert to the municipality without pay¬ 
ment on its part. In case, however, the municipality considers it 
inexpedient at that time to take over the operation of the plant, it 
may have the option of prolonging the concession for 25 years, 
Avhereupon the municipality will receive in addition to the 6 per 
cent of the gross income which the company now pays as part of the 
compensation for the concession, 15 per cent of the profits of the 
company. At the expiration of the new contract all property of the 
company is to pass to the municipality without any reimbursement. 
All capital which the company invests after the first three years 
will be recognized by the municipality annually in accordance with 
certain terms of the contract, and an amortization of 2 per cent per 
annum will be paid to the company until the expiration of the con¬ 
cession, at which time any amount still due to complete the amorti¬ 
zation will be paid either in cash or in municipal bonds at the option 
of the municipality. Should the company establish a power house 
outside of the municipality, but for the purpose of furnishing cur¬ 
rent within its limits, it also shall become the property of the munici¬ 
pality. The company is prohibited from alienating or transferring 
the concession and from fusing or associating itself in any form with 
other electric company or companies supplying public lighting which 
are already established, but this does not prevent it from joining 
with companies which may be established in the future. In no case, 
however, may the company in any way make common use of the 
plant or distribution system of the other companies now established. 

The main generating station is known as the Usina u Pedro Men¬ 
doza” and is located near the docks, thus facilitating the handling 
of fuel and supplies. The motive power is steam which is furnished 
at 200 pounds pressure and superheated to 350° C. by semivertical 
tubular boilers made by Franco Tosi, an Italian firm, and equipped 
with feed water heaters and “ Green ” economizers. The fuel used 
is crude petroleum from the native oil fields at Comodoro Rivadavia, 
but sawdust or bran has been used in cases of necessity with ex¬ 
cellent results. 

DESCRIPTION OF PLANT. 

The capacity of the plant is 31,200 kilovolt amperes, the equip¬ 
ment consisting of three Tosi turbines, each being coupled to a 
Brown, Boveri & Co. three-phase generator having a normal rating 
of 6,250 kilovolt amperes, 7,000 volts, 50 cycles, and one turbine with 
a 12,500 kilovolt generator. All generators have direct-connected ex¬ 
citers, while for emergency purposes there is a 600-ampere-hour stor¬ 
age battery. The switchboards were constructed by Brown, Boveri 
& Co. and are located in galleries at one side of the station. They 
are constructed along very modern lines with reserve bus bars, bench 
control, and unusually ample protection against various classes of 
line disturbances. Among these one of the most interesting is a series 
of reactance coils between the generators and the line, the coils being 
constructed of iron wire instead of copper on account of the greater 
damping effect of the former material. From the central station to 
the distribution system there are eleven 10,000-volt, three-phase cables 
of 70 square millimeters conductor cross section, laid in conduits and 
terminating in the several substations located at convenient points 


ARGENTINA. 


29 


throughout the city. The total length of high-tension underground 
cables is approximately 75 kilometers (46.5 miles) all of them having 
been furnished by an Italian factory (Pirelli & Co., of Milan). 
Space has been provided for an increased number of cables whenever 
required by growth of the load. 

Current is sent from the generating station at 7,000 volts, three- 
phase, 50 cycles, and is transformed by synchronous converters in 
six substations into direct current, 225 volts. The equipment of a 
typical substation consists of two or more six-phase regulating pole 
rotary converters of Brown, Boveri & Co. make, and all the necessary 
apparatus for starting and operating. Between the transformers 
and converters there are reactance spools so proportioned in relation 
to the winding of the converters that with changes in load, the direct- 
current voltage varies in the same manner as that of the direct- 
current generators which are installed in the substations. In this 
manner both may be run in parallel in order to take care of any 
peak or unusual load. 

These latter units, of which there are at present 13, consist of 
“ Tosi ” Diesel engines, direct connected to a 500-kilowatt, three-wire, 
250/500-volt generator. 

PUBLIC LIGHTING SERVICE. 

Public lighting to the extent of 2,000 arc lamps, or their equivalent, 
is taken care o± by the Italo-Argentina company, nearly all by 
means of multiple circuits of direct current, 225 volts, which is also 
the voltage for house lighting. According to the concession the 
voltage is not to show a variation from the standard greater than 
3 per cent and as a consequence some care is exercised to see that it 
is kept within this limit. 

LOW-TENSION CURRENT. 

Low-tension alternating current is supplied to certain customers, 
the most important one being the Government, which has made a 12- 
year contract with the Italo-Argentina Co. for the current which 
is used on the wharves and docks of the port of Buenos Aires. These 
circuits are 3-phase, 22 volts, 50 cycles, and are fed from seven 
substations located within the limit of the port works. The equip¬ 
ment of each consists of one or two immersed transformers with 
radiation fins, cellular type, high-tension switchboard with time and 
overload relay control and low-tension board with the usual switches, 
fuses, and meters, the maximum capacity being furnished by three 
400-kilowatt units. 

The low-tension distribution is all placed underground, the main 
feeders being lead covered and steel armored. Of this type of cable 
300 kilometers (186 miles) are installed and of distributing cables 
800 kilometers (500 miles). Separate circuits feed public lighting, 
approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) of cable having a cross 
section of 10 square millimeters being now in service. This is 
practically the maximum of this type which will be required for 
the present, as the lighting contract calls for 2,000 arc lamps and that 
number is already being operated from the company’s lines. 


30 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


A private telephone system connects all substations with the 
main office so that notices of breakdown or trouble can be reported 
and necessary steps for repairs taken at once. 

COMPANIA ALEMANA TRANSATLANTIC^ DE ELECTRICIDAD. 

In 1896 a concession was obtained by a German company for the 
operation of an electric plant in Buenos Aires. At that time there 
were already in existence two companies generating alternating cur¬ 
rent, one generating direct current, and several small companies op¬ 
erating street railway lines. The Compama Alemana Transatlantica 
de Electricidad, which was formed in 1897, built a plant and was 
able gradually to absorb the smaller concerns, uniting their systems 
in one large network. At the same time the tramway companies 
amalgamated and an arrangement was entered into whereby the 
latter turned over their generating equipment in return for the 
street railway which the German company was then running. A 
long-time contract was entered into for the purchase of power by 
the consolidated tramways and this gave the first great impulse to 
the electric company. In 1907 the company received a concession 
from the municipality of Buenos Aires to run for 50 years, or until 
December 31, 1957, at the end of which time it must turn over to 
the Government without cost all buildings, lands, and machinery 
in perfect running order. 

In 1908 and 1909 it constructed its present plant, which has eight 
steam turbo-generators whose total capacity is 65,000 kilowatts 
which, combined with the 23,000 kilowatts of the “ Boca ” plant and 
the capacity of the several smaller stations that are still in operating 
condition, gives the company a possible total of fully 100,000 kilo¬ 
watts. In addition to this there are accumulators having a two-hour 
discharge rate of some 22,000 kilowatts. A part of this battery op¬ 
erates on the 460-volt lighting circuits and the rest on the 550-volt 
trolley. They are located at different points throughout the city, 
approximating in a general way the centers of distribution. The 
electrical machinery is practically all German made, some of the 
smaller units having come from Switzerland. Storage batteries, 
cables, converters, and transformers are all of German manufacture, 
and there is no likelihood that the company will purchase any other 
type. 

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. 

Current of both 25 and 50 cycles is generated because the two 
systems had each attained such importance previous to the erection 
of the new plant that it was necessary to keep them both. The 
former is transmitted at 12,500 volts and the latter at 13,000 volts by 
underground cables to various rotary converters and transformer 
substations from which the light and power circuits are fed with 
twenty-two 550-volt direct current and 225-volt, 3-phase, 50-cycle 
current, the former principally in the center of the city and the 
latter both in the center and in the outskirts and new sections. A 
large amount of power is also sent to the substation of the Cfa. de 
Electricidad de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, which operates in 
several of the suburbs of Buenos Aires. The total length of feeder 
and distribution cables is estimated at over 5,000 kilometers (3,100 


ARGENTINA. 


31 


miles) and is constantly increasing, due to the competition of the 
Cia. Italo-Argentina. The company has over 100,000 service con¬ 
nections and 115,000 meters. Public lighting requires a capacity of 
4,000 kilowatts and the Cia. Anglo-Argentina de Tramways a maxi¬ 
mum peak of 15,000 to 20,000 kilowatts, according to the season of 
the year. The batteries are supposed to be of great assistance in 
economical operation inasmuch as they help materially in carrying 
the peak, which frequently rises to 40,000 kilowatts, or to double the 
normal average load, in less than two hours. Twelve thousand or 
more are furnished by the batteries, which obviate the necessity of 
getting more turbines into service. They are recharged in the early 
morning hours and during the day float on the line ready for any 
emergency load. 

The Cia. Alemana Transatlantica de Electricidad is a part of the 
organization known as the Deutsche Uberseeische Elektricitats Ge- 
sellschaft, of Berlin, a company formed by German capitalists to 
exploit electrical companies in foreign countries and furnish an outlet 
for German-made goods. To the same people belong also the central 
stations in Valparaiso and Santiago, Chile, as well as some smaller 
plants in Argentina and one of the tramway companies in Montevideo. 

BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE CO. 

The Compania de Electricidad de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, 
Ltda. (Electrical Co. of Province of Buenos Aires, Ltd.) is an 
English and French stock company with boards of directors both 
in London and Paris, the former having charge of its technical 
affairs. Having purchased small stations already in operation this 
company now provides the lighting for some twelve towns in the 
Province of Buenos Aires, the current sold monthly amounting to 
800,000 kilowatt-hours. For the suburbs of Buenos Aires this cur¬ 
rent is all generated by the Compania Alemana Transatlantica de 
Electricidad and transmitted at 12,400 volts to transformer substa¬ 
tions belonging to the Compania de Electricidad de la Provincia de 
Buenos Aires, Ltda., which has the concession for the public lighting 
of the several municipalities. It also distributes the current for pri¬ 
vate lighting and power but does no installing or wiring other than 
that necessary for extending its lines to the primary of the customer. 
All distribution is by means of overhead wires and the circuits are 225 
volts, continuous or alternating current, depending on whether they 
are fed by current generated in the company’s own plants or by 
current purchased from the central station in Buenos Aires. 

The company has published a set of regulations which govern all 
installations for private lighting, from which the following are 
extracts: 

Entrance of the current .—The conduit which may be necessary must be lo¬ 
cated so that all wires enter to the meters; the conduit used should be of 
spiral steel, with corresponding bends; the company will install the conductor 
up to the exit bushing. 

Fuses .—All fuses of 3 amperes or less shall have between terminals a dis¬ 
tance of not less than 20 millimeters and for fuses of greater amperage not 
less than 25 millimeters. 

Cables, wire, and flexible cord .—No conductor except flexible cord may have 
a cross section of less than li square millimeters. The permissible current- 
carrying capacity of conductors up to 50 square millimeters cross section is 2 
amperes per square millimeter. 


32 


ELECTRICAL, GOODS. 


For passing through walls, insulating conduit shall be used and porcelain 
bushing shall be located at both entrance and exit. 

For crossing the open ceiling iron conduit will be necessary. Wooden mold¬ 
ing is absolutely prohibited. Flexible cord shall have a minimum cross section 
of 0.65 square millimeters and must be protected by a fuse on the wall and 
the terminal shall be soldered. 

Every drop shall have its rosette on the ceiling. 

The joints shall be soldered and properly insulated. 

Every conductor shall be protected electrically by a covering of vulcanized 
rubber; if it is wire or cable which is to be installed on insulators or in the 
open air, this shall have a minimum thickness of 0.6 millimeter, and if it is 
for conduit work it shall have a minimum thickness of 1 millimeter. 

Every branch circuit or drop light shall have a fuse before the snap switch. 

Every device shall be of a type which will assure the insulation necessary 
to avoid a leakage to ground or danger of contact. 

Voltage of the motors .—Motors up to 2 horsepower shall be of two or three 
wires; for motors above 2 horsepower the local office of the company must be 
consulted. 

No motor will be permitted whose starting current exceeds 50 per cent of 
the current used with full load. 


RAILWAY ELECTRIFICATION. 

The Ferrocarril Oeste de Buenos Aires, Ltdo. (Western Railway 
of Buenos Aires, Ltd.), an English company, has been working for 
some time on the electrification of the suburban section of its main 
line. On the harbor front of Buenos Aires it has constructed a 
handsome power house which has a capacity of 18,600 kilowatts in 
three 3-phase, 25-cycle British Westinghouse turbo-generator 
units of 6,200 kilowatts each. The current is generated at 2,500 
volts and immediately stepped up to 20,000 for distribution to vari¬ 
ous substations. The switchboards are equipped with all modern 
protective and control devices for switching on the high side of the 
line and are from the factory of Siemens Bros. 

All control apparatus function from 110-volt direct-current cir¬ 
cuits fed by two 65-kilowatt motor generator* sets and two 250-am¬ 
pere-hour storage batteries. There will be two 500-kilowatt rotary 
converters to supply power for the locomotives which will be used 
in the yard about the power house. 

A fourth generating unit can be installed in the present building, 
which is designed with particular regard to possible future expan¬ 
sion. 

The generating station which furnishes the current for operating 
the electrified section of the Central Argentine Railway is located 
at Canal San Fernando, 28 kilometers (17 miles) from the center of 
Buenos Aires. Four Parsom turbines, each direct connected to a 
British Thomson Houston 3,300-kilovolt ampere, 25-cycle gener¬ 
ator, produce the current at 2,500 volts, which is stepped up to 
20,000 for transmission by means of three conductor, lead-covered, 
steel-armored, underground cables to the five substations. Three of 
these are located at convenient points along the right of way and 
feed the third rail with direct current, while the other two supply 
power to different work shops and car sheds. Each of the feeder 
substations contain three rotary converters of 1,000-kilo volt-am¬ 
peres capacity with the necessary controlling apparatus for produc¬ 
ing the 800-volt direct current which energizes the third rail. 


ARGENTINA. 


33 


BAHIA BLANCA CENTRAL STATION. 

The Buenos Aires a Pacifico Railroad is developing a series of 
port works at Bahia Blanca and has erected a modern electric-light¬ 
ing plant which furnishes current for public and private lighting 
and for the street railway. The handling of this business is done 
by a subsidiary company knowm as the Compama Sudamericana 
de Luz y Fuerza. In the central station there are five vertical steam 
engines driving their respective alternators, which are rated at 1,000 
kilowatts, 50 cycles, 6,600 volts, three-phase, with direct-connected 
exciter. For some time the company has been using petroleum as 
fuel on account of the scarcity of coal, so the automatic coal-handling 
machinery and feeding equipment has been dismantled. This was 
one of the few stations using weighing and pulverizing machinery 
for obtaining the best control over its operation. 

From the generating plant the 6,600-volt current is sent to six sub¬ 
stations throughout the city where it is reduced to the proper voltage 
for tramway and lighting. The low-tension alternating current is 
available for power as three-phase 380-volt current, and for light as 
single-phase 220-volt current, the neutral wire having been brought 
out from the transformer. Two refinements which show the modern 
methods employed are the telephone system connecting all substations 
with the main office, and the spare transformers of each type which 
are ready to be slipped into the place of those which prove defective. 
There are also all kinds of protective apparatus and controlling de¬ 
vices which are calculated to insure continuous operation. All 
machinery is of English manufacture, as the railroad and power 
plants are owned by English capital. 

CORDOBA CENTRAL STATION. 

Cordoba has several generating plants, the most important of 
which are the hydroelectric stations Usina Bamba and Usina Calera, 
of the Comparna Luz y Fuerza Motriz. The Usina Bamba was 
originally installed in 1898 by an American company, although some 
years ago it changed hands and now belongs to an English syndicate. 

There are seven units with a total capacity of 3,880 kilowatts. The 
water wheels operate with a head of 95 feet. The generators are 
three-phase, 60 cycles, 700 volts, which is stepped up to 10,000 for 
transmission 18 miles to the substation, where it is reduced to 2,200 
for distribution about the city. All the machinery came from the 
United States. 

The Usina Calera, which was built in 1912, is also located on the 
Rio Primero a short distance from the Usina Bamba, and was 
erected when the latter could no longer keep up with the growing 
demand. There are four units, made by Dick, Kerr & Co., of 1,000 
kilowatts each, three-phase, 60 cycles, 10,800 volts. The water wheels 
were obtained from Escher Wyss & Co., and operate with a head 
of 145 feet. The switchboards are British Westinghouse and are 
equipped with a Tirrell regulator for parallel operation of the gen¬ 
erators on a combined lighting and street-railway load. Aluminum¬ 
cell lightning arresters protect the lines against very severe static 
conditions. 

120766°—19-3 


34 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


As a reserve, to be used in times of low water, the company main¬ 
tains a steam plant with a capacity of 2,200 kilowatts. There are 
three units of Dick, Kerr & Co. generators direct connected to 
Beilis & Morcom high-speed engines. One of these is especially for 
tramway service. 

A second company, the Compama General de Electricidad de Cor¬ 
doba, was formed in 1910 by local capital, as it was felt that the 
service given by the Cia. Luz y Fuerza Motriz could be improved 
upon. It has both a hj^draulic and a steam plant, the former located 
on the Rio Primero farther upstream than either of the plants of the 
other company. It has two Brown, Boveri & Co. alternators, each of 
300-kilowatt capacity and driven by Escher Wyss turbines operating 
at a head of 35 feet. The current is three-phase, 50 cycles, and is 
generated at 750 volts to be stepped up to 25,000 and transmitted 25 
miles to the substations, which reduce it to direct current, 22CM40 
volts. In the steam plant there are two 375-kilowatt, 220-440-volt, 
direct-current, A. E. G. generators. 

The demand for power for the many small industries in and around 
Cordoba is very great, as the rates are extremely favorable in com¬ 
parison with the cost of other forms of power available, with the 
result that all stations are well loaded and undoubtedly will have to 
seek relief by expansion in the near future. 

MENDOZA CENTRAL STATIONS. 

The Empresa de Luz y Fuerza de Mendoza (Mendoza Light & 
Power Co.) generates current in one steam and two hydroelectric 
plants. Its total capacity is approximately 4,000 kilowatts, of which 
2,000 are in the steam plant. This latter is necessary as a reserve in 
times of low water, since the flow in the Mendoza River is very 
variable, a minimum of 25 cubic meters per second and a maximum of 
500 having been observed. 

Current is transmitted at 5,000 volts over the distance of 10 kilo¬ 
meters (6.2 miles) from the plant to Mendoza, where it is distributed 
to the several substations. Not having sufficient power at its dis¬ 
posal, the Empresa is unable to take care of all the numerous indus¬ 
tries and vineyards, many of which are now operating their own elec¬ 
tric plants. In order to remedy this situation, work was begun on a 
new hydroelectric station in the Mendoza River at Cacheuta, some 
35 kilometers (22 miles) from the city. It was intended to make an 
initial installation of 4,000 to 5,000 horsepower, with a later devel¬ 
opment providing for considerable more. The whole plan is held up 
now on account of the action of the provincial government in declar¬ 
ing null and void the concession under which the Empresa was work¬ 
ing. The case is being contested, but until final decision is reached no 
further work can be done. 

It is understood that the owners of the Empresa de Luz y Fuerza 
would be glad to sell it. This would seem to be a profitable invest¬ 
ment, but the investigators of an American syndicate who have looked 
into it have not reported favorably. Copies of the balance sheets of 
the Empresa for 1915, 1916, and 1917, a copy of the statistics of the 
status of the company, and a copy of the law covering the utiliza¬ 
tion of the water of the Mendoza River for the production of electri- 


ARGENTINA. 


35 


cal power are on file and can be inspected at the office of the Bureau 
of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Room 734, Customhouse, New 
York. 

A company known as the Argentina Power & Railless Traction 
Co. was formed with English and local capital in 1913 to exploit a 
concession involving water-power development on the Mendoza 
River. In the beginning it acquired a small plant intended for the 
production of calcium carbide, but abandoned it on account of un¬ 
profitable operation. From this plant current was to be transmitted 
to Mendoza and also to several surrounding villages, but the ultimate 
aim of the company was to make an installation capable of producing 
15,000 or 20,000 horsepower to be used in operating a railless street 
car system, and for all general power purposes. Activities have 
ceased on account of the war, and it is not known whether they will 
be resumed at a later date. 

ROSARIO AND SANTA FE. 

The Sociedad de Electricidad de Rosario has a very modern plant 
on the river front some 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the center 
of Rosario. It is unusually well built and the arrangement of the 
machinery is admirable. The total capacity is 18,000 kilowatts, sup¬ 
plied by lour steam turbo-generators, two of 3,000 and two of 6,000 
kilowatts, 50 cycles, three-phase, 6,600 volts. Room is provided for 
two more units when the load requires them. From the four sub¬ 
stations the current is distributed at 550 volts, direct current, for the 
street railway, and 220-440 volts, direct current, for light and power, 
and also 110-190 volts, alternating current, for the same purpose. 
All machinery is of German make. Much of the distribution cable, 
of which there are nearly 300 kilometers (186 miles), is of aluminum 
and has been very satisfactory to the company. 

There are three electric plants in Santa Fe, which is a city of 
55,000 inhabitants. The largest belongs to the municipalitj^ and 
supplies current for light and power only. Steam turbines and en¬ 
gines furnish the motive power, driving four 230-460-volt, direct- 
current generators, with a total capacity of 2,600 kilowatts. This 
municipality has attempted to dispose of its plant, but without suc¬ 
cess, for various political reasons. The machinery is of German and 
Italian manufacture. 

The Compania Argentina de Tranvlas y Fuerza, Ltda., originally 
furnished power to the tramways only, but later received permission 
to enter the lighting field in order to help its financial condition. 
The capacity of its plant is 1,500 kilowatts, of which part is gen¬ 
erated at 550 volts for the railway service and the rest at 220-440 for 
lighting. The machinery is all of English make. 

A third outfit of 250 kilowatts furnishes power only for the port 
works, which consist of a few cranes and winches. Diesel engines 
and Swiss generators supply direct current at 220-440 volts and a 
300-ampere-hour, 440-volt accumulator assists in caring for peak 
loads. 

TV CUM AN CENTRAL STATION. 

The Compania Hidro-Electrico de Tucuman has one of the largest 
waterpower developments in Argentina. It is located on the Lules 
River at San Pablo and feeds Tucuman, a city of 80,000 inhabitants, 


36 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


and surrounding country. It was established in 1911-12, and has 
a possible capacity of 25,000 horsepower or more, although at present 
it is working with only 3,750 kilowatts, generated by three three- 
phase, 50-cycle, British Westinghouse alternators driven by Jens 
Orten Boving water wheels. A tremendous amount of water drains 
into the Lules River from the near-by mountains in the rainy season, 
and with proper conservation measures much could be stored for 
use in the dry season. Undoubtedly such measures will be taken 
as there are numerous opportunities for the sale of power at the cheap 
rates which such an installation would make possible. Tucuman is 
the center of the sugar industry in Argentina, 27 active mills, 4 of 
them operating refineries, being located in this district. 

The current is transmitted to the outskirts of Tucuman at 44,000 
volts, where it is reduced to 4,400 and sent into the city substation to 
be further reduced to 220. 

There are two steam plants, with a total capacity of 2,000 kilowatts, 
generated by eight 220-volt, direct-current dynamos of various Euro¬ 
pean makes. Two 300-kilowatt, British Thomson-Houston rotaries 
furnish current for the street railway. This plant will probably be 
in need of much new machinery during the next few years. 

CHARGES FOR LIGHT AND POWER. 

In most instances municipal ordinances determine the maximum 
rate which njay be collected, making a sliding scale of reduction 
which must be effected when the production passes certain limits. 
In Buenos Aires the Companfa Alemana Transatlantica de Electri- 
cidad was originally allowed to charge a maximum rate for private 
lighting of $0.16 Argentine gold ($0.1544 United States gold) per 
kilowatt hour for the first 30 consumed in each month and $0.08 
Argentine gold ($0,772 United States gold) for each kilowatt hour in 
excess of that amount. It was further stipulated, however, that when 
the sale of energy for lighting and power, without counting that sold 
for traction and public lighting, exceeded 40,000,000 kilowatt hours 
annually the company should lower its tariffs effective at that time 
5 per cent for every 5,000,000 kilowatt hours or fraction over the 
40,000,000. These reductions were to be applied in the year follow¬ 
ing that of the excess sale. 

When these reductions amount to 30 per cent of the maximum 
tariffs stipulated no more reductions shall be made for this reason. 
As production has long since passed the mark set for the maximum 
reduction in tariff, the company can not now charge more than $0,112 
Argentine gold ($0,108 United States gold) for the first 30 kilowatt 
hours or more than $0,056 Argentine gold ($0,054 United States 
gold) for each kilowatt hour over 30. Rates for private power, heat¬ 
ing, lighting, and railways are subject to arrangement between the 
company and the consumer. 

A similar tariff, with slight modifications, is in effect with the 
Companfa Italo-Argentina de Electricidad. As a sort of offset to 
this reduction in their rates both companies are allowed to charge 
the municipality an increasing rate as the price of coal rises. When 
the price of coal laid down in their yards rises above $8.50 Argentine 
gold ($8.20 United States gold) per metric ton the companies may 
charge an additional 1£ per cent of the original tariff for every 


Special Agents Series No. 184. 



FIG. 1 — CAPITOL BUILDING, BUENOS AIRES, WITH HOLI¬ 
DAY ILLUMINATION. 



FIG. 2—GOVERNMENT AND PRESIDENTIAL OFFICES, BUENOS AIRES, WITH HOLI¬ 
DAY ILLUMINATION. 











Special Agents Series No. 184. 




FIG. 4.—NIGHT VIEW OF SUBWAY STATION. BUENOS AIRES. 








ARGENTINA. 


37 


increase of 25 centavos Argentine gold ($0,241 United States gold). 
Thus all the increase in the cost of fuel is borne by the municipality 
for that portion which is used in producing the current which it 
consumes. The Cia. Alemana also has a long-term contract with the 
Anglo-Argentine Tramway Co. along the same lines with the result 
that the latter is now T paying nearly 7 cents per kilowatt hour. 

The average tariff of the smaller central stations throughout the 
country is 19 cents for light and 11 cents for power. The lowest 
rates are in the city of Tucuman, which charges 5 cents for light and 
3 cents for power. No station makes any special rates for heating 
or cooking, although the Cia. Italo-Argentina de Electricidad is 
considering such a course when conditions become more suitable. 

For comparison of rates for electric current with prices for gas, 
wood, and other fuels, see page 46. 

LIGHTING. 

In many cities there are electric and gas plants, both of which 
are used for public lighting. In general, however, gas is being 
displaced slowly, and its use is being limited to public lighting only. 
In many cases the gas plant belongs either to the municipality or to 
a company owning some store. During the last few years coal has 
become so scarce and expensive that the operation of gas plants has 
become burdensome, and there is a noticeable tendency toward 
changing all store and park lights as quickly as possible, substituting 
electricity for gas. Some of these changes are intended to be only 
temporary, but it is improbable that the gas lamps will ever be 
placed in active service again. When permanent electric fixtures 
are installed there will be a considerable demand for globes and 
other appropriate material. 

With the improvements in electric illumination due to better fila¬ 
ments and especially to the advent of the gas-filled type of electric 
lamps, the popularity of electric lighting should increase, with a 
consequent demand for supplies. Also many of the present instal¬ 
lations will be made over, the present equipment being replaced with 
new material. Many central stations are attempting to create a more 
general demand for lighting fixtures in order to increase sales of 
current. Dealers are always receptive toward new lines, but as few 
of them are familiar with the problems of improving illumination 
it is practically impossible to market through them any device whose 
use requires special knowledge or experience. 

HOUSE AND STORE LIGHTING. 

There is little in house lighting that differs from our practices. 
The methods employed in the country districts and smaller towns are 
comparatively primitive, and the people are contented with the older 
forms of installations. In the cities where the tendency is toward the 
use of more and larger units, the number of consumers is increasing 
rapidly, and in consequence, the market for all electric-lighting ma¬ 
terial is continuously expanding. In Buenos Aires, about 10 per 
cent of the population are now active consumers of current, or about 
160,000 out of a population of 1,600,000. 


38 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


Store lighting is usually accomplished by a ceiling cluster or by 
ceiling drop lights for the most part singly spaced throughout the 
store. There is no evidence that any general effort has been made to 
apply the modern appurtenances which have been evolved for improv¬ 
ing interior illumination of stores and offices. A small number of 
units especially designed for this purpose have been installed; but no 
well-directed and continuous effort has been made to increase the 
general use of such devices. At present they are being handled by 
general dealers who are not in a position to make special studies of 
the best methods of installation, and undoubtedly with higher grade 
representation a much larger number could be sold. 

SIGN LIGHTING. 

Unfavorable municipal ordinances handicap the development of 
the electric-sign business. Signs now in actual use, made locally of 
tin or sheet iron, are of two general types. The first is a transparent 
sign in the form of a box Avith painted glass sides, and the other is 
simply a set of letters spelling the name of the firm or the product. 
The most usual method of night advertising is by means of high- 
power lamps with hooded reflectors on the outside, showing the 
windows, and throwing light upon the display. This results in a 
combination of signs and window lighting which is attractive for 
the reason that the store front is brought into prominent display. 
As arc lamps were first used for window lighting, it was forbidden to 
have them inside of windows when goods of an inflammable nature 
were being displayed, and the custom of using outside lamps has con¬ 
tinued, although nearly all arc lamps have given way to incandescent 
lamps of the gas-filled type. Imported signs would ordinarily be too 
expensive to become generally used, as the cost would be heavy by 
the time the freights and duties were paid. Head types of individual 
letters, however, could be carried in stock and used to make up indi¬ 
vidual signs, which might meet with some success if they were of 
such character that they did not conflict with the municipal ordi¬ 
nance, which prohibits the projection of signs over the sidewalk for 
more than a few inches. There is very little enthusiasm among the 
dealers for handling this material, and many of them would not take 
it up at all on account of certain disastrous experiences with similar 
articles in the past. It is hardly worth while to attempt to do any¬ 
thing along this line unless it is possible to secure a local representa¬ 
tive, thoroughly familiar with the sign business, who would ar¬ 
range with the municipalities for a modification of the public ordi¬ 
nances, and who could interest the central stations in making pros¬ 
pective customers a special price proposition, especially for the larger 
signs. 

WINDOW LIGHTING. 

Nearly every, store and shop makes a pretense of lighting its 
window. This is usually done by hanging brilliant unshaded lamps 
in the center of the display space or by attaching several small units 
to each side of the window. Especially designed reflectors are rarely 
seen. The lack of agents competent to advise upon the location of 
especially designed units is largely responsible for the small sale. 


ARGENTINA. 


39 


Another obstacle to the widespread adoption of such devices by 
smaller stores is the fact that nearly all of them are equipped with 
rolling steel shutters, which are drawn at closing time, thus elimi¬ 
nating much continuous evening display. However, it is character¬ 
istic of business men to desire the same improvements that their 
neighbors have and this is a helpful factor in introducing scientific 
lighting units for which which the market is gradually broadening 
out. 

AUTOMOBILE AND TRAIN LIGHTING. 

Prior to 1914 more automobiles of French manufacture than of 
any other make were imported. These were usually high-priced, in¬ 
closed types, and came equipped with electric lights for the interior, 
but with gas headlights. Electric bulbs have since been fitted into 
these gas lamps, and this works quite as well as having new lamps. 
A city ordinance prohibits the use of many lights or powerful head¬ 
lights, and there is little use for them outside of the cities, since there 
are very few highways suitable for pleasure driving. 

The later cars have largely come from the United States, and are 
fully equipped with electric lights when imported. This means that 
there is a continuous and growing market for the special types of 
automobile bulbs. Efforts to market them in the stores are meeting 
with success, and should be pursued more energetically than at pres¬ 
ent. A few garages are now handling them, but for the most part 
they leave such business to the automobile-supply stores. If prop¬ 
erly approached, they would undoubtedly appreciate the probabili¬ 
ties of profit to be derived from the sale of such lamps and would 
aid in their distribution. 

Practically all coaches on the steam railroads are electrically 
lighted, being equipped with storage batteries and individual axle 
generators. The system in most common use is made by an English 
company—American systems being practically unknown—owing to 
the successful operation and the popularity of the type now in use 
and the fact that the railroads are mostly owned by English com¬ 
panies. It is doubtful if American manufacturers could secure 
the adoption of their system to any great extent. Very few locomo¬ 
tives have electric headlights and this field, while small, offers an 
opportunity worth following up. 

MISCELLANEOUS LIGHTING. 

On the occasion of the celebration of the one hundredth anni¬ 
versary of the independence of Argentina in 1916 Buenos Aires was 
very beautifully decorated and illuminated. All public buildings 
and many of the stores were outlined with varicolored lights, some 
of which were kept as permanent fixtures. The principal streets were 
hung with festoons, and in the parks set pieces were erected. Flood 
lights were used to illuminate the capitol building and the more 
prominent monuments about the city. All this stimulated interest 
in similar illumination throughout the country, so that in nearly 
every town some effort is now made to have electric display on pa¬ 
triotic or feast days. The equipment used is seldom more than make¬ 
shift, made by adapting to the purpose whatever equipment comes 


40 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


to hand, but there is a growing demand for better devices intended 
for this particular purpose. 

Nearly all churches now use electric lights in place of candles. 
The change has been made simply by installing several drop-lights 
or by fitting bulbs in the massive chandeliers. As ceilings are very 
high and interior halls dark colored, any system of indirect lighting 
is impracticable. However, it would be entirely feasible to use spe¬ 
cial lighting units to obtain greater illumination, and to arrange 
a plan of individual lighting of the altars which would be very 
effective. 

fixtures. 

In the smaller houses lighting units usually consist of drop-lights 
made up of a single lamp in a socket suspended in the center of each 
room; but these are being replaced with modern fixtures and chan¬ 
deliers by those who can afford them. 

The types of chandeliers most popular for large houses are of glass 
and crystal or massive-appearing bronze. The former used to come 
exclusively from Germany or Austria, as did all of the glass globes, 
beads, and other fixture accessories. All fixtures must be artistic and 
ornate, as the plain designs make very little appeal to the public. Up- 
to-date fixtures for indirect and semi-indirect lighting are beginning 
to find favor and will be much used in the future. 

The importation of fixtures has practically ceased, as local estab¬ 
lishments are making types more suitable to the market in quantities 
quite sufficient to take care of the entire demand. In many cases 
these fixtures are made from original designs, but more often are 
copies or adaptations of foreign designs. One fixture manufacturer 
in Buenos Aires employs over 100 people and has in his display room 
chandeliers, fixtures, drop-lights, and standard lamps having an 
estimated value of several hundred thousand dollars. Some of the 
best glassware was imported, but the commoner glass articles and all 
the metal work were made locally. In addition to this one big estab¬ 
lishment there are many smaller factories, and it is safe to say that 
they will be able to prevent the importation of everything except 
articles of extraordinary types, since they can manufacture fixtures 
locally and sell them at prices lower than the prices asked for foreign 
types. 

[Catalogues of fixtures made in Buenos Aires may be seen in the 
sample exhibit room of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com¬ 
merce, Room 734, Customhouse, New York.] 

public lighting. 

In all towns and cities where electric current has been available 
for a number of years public lighting is now or has been carried on 
by means of arc lamps, which are of various types. In the last three 
years there has been a decided movement toward the substitution for 
these arc lights of incandescent lamps, especially those of the half¬ 
watt type. This change is due largely to the many advantages which 
the incandescent lamp possesses over the arc lamp, but the fact that 
carbons and repair parts have not been coming from Europe as they 
did formerly has to a certain extent forced the adoption of the newer 
type. Before the war many arc lamps came from Germany, but when 


ARGENTINA. 


41 


this importation stopped the supply on hand was exhausted. The 
following figures of importation in the years from 1910 to 1917 are 
interesting as showing the decline since the war began: 1910, 
$112,589; 1911, $131,441; 1912, $125,840; 1913, $225,559; 1914, $62,- 
231; 1915, $11,163; 1916, $1,023; 1917, $282. Municipalities and 
central stations are now quite willing to replace arc lamps with series 
or multiple incandescent lamps. 

In nearly every case the arc lamps operated from multiple circuits, 
and consequently the standard 220-volt lamps replace them without 
difficulty and with comparatively little modification of the circuit. 
One of the few installations of series arc lamps is in Cordoba, where 
some 800 lamps are operated by 7.5-ampere, 60-cycle, constant-current 
transformers made by the General Electric Co. In some of the newer 
installations complete units consisting of lamp, hood, and reflector 
have been installed, but in general, in order to economize and make 
use of existing material, the mechanism of the arc lamp has been 
removed and the casing fitted with a socket suitable for the size of 
the incandescent lamp to be used. This process has been followed 
with high-power units, the lamp of 100 watts or less being installed 
with simple metallic or glass reflector, but no casing. The tendency 
toward replacement is such that it is doubtful whether any new arc 
lamps will be put into service anywhere in the Republic, and there 
is every indication that the present rapid decrease will continue until 
all have disappeared. 

PUBLIC LIGHTING IN BUENOS AIRES. 

In Buenos Aires several forms of public lighting are still in use. 
At the end of 1917 there were in service 17,703 gas lamps, which in 
June of that year consumed 1,172,415 cubic meters of gas; 2,429 alco¬ 
hol lamps, consuming in June 35,810 liters (9,460 gallons) of alcohol; 
3,201 kerosene lamps with a consumption in June of 40,180 liters 
(10,615 gallons); and the following electric lamps: 


Arc lamps of— 

600 watts_1- 4 

480 watts--- 81 

450 watts--- 2, 897 

Incandescent lamps of— 

2, 000 watts_ 8 

1, 500 watts_ 54 

1, 000 watts_1, 596 

600 watts---1, 284 

400 watts- 975 

200 watts- 286 

100 watts_ 4 

50 watts_1,100 


The number of arc lamps has decreased from about 7,000 in 1915. 
The kerosene and alcohol lamps are in use only in the sparsely settled 
outlying districts where there are no electric circuits yet. The munic¬ 
ipal contract with the gas company still has several years to run and 
the gaslights will consequently remain, but the policy is to replace 
lamps of all other systems by incandescent lamps of the half-watt 
or other types as fast as conditions permit. One of the policies of the 
municipality adopted at the time of the reorganization of the light¬ 
ing department was to make a total replacement of the 6,000 series 
multiple-arc lamps (nine in series on 450 volts or four in seven series 
on 225 volts) in two years, at the rate of 250 per month, with the 













42 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


metallic-filament, half-watt type of lamps operating on 225-volt mul¬ 
tiple circuits. Owing to the many difficulties encountered in putting 
this program into effect there are still some 3,000 to be changed. 

The following prices paid by the municipality in 1915 show that 
lighting by electricity is much more economical than by the other 
systems: 

Gas lamp, 60 candlepower, 6.30 pesos ($2.75 United States gold); 
alcohol lamp, 40 candlepower, 7.34 pesos ($3.11); kerosene lamp, 7 
candlepower, 3 pesos ($1.27); incandescent lamp, 50 watts, 2.30 pesos 
($0.98). 

All purchases for municipal use are made by contract in accordance 
with specifications issued for public bids. The time allowed between 
the date of publication and the opening of bids is too short to interest 
any one outside of the country, and this is done especially to encour¬ 
age home industry or companies which have established local branches 
or representatives. All bidders must submit samples of the goods 
offered so that they may be tested by the technical laboratory of the 
city, maintained for the purpose of determining whether material 
and construction meet the specifications. The successful bidder is 
required to keep on hand a stock sufficient for several months from 
which the city can draw as the need arises. 

The wires of the actual lighting circuits in Buenos Aires belong 
to the municipality, which does the installing, repairing, and oper¬ 
ating, the electric companies furnishing only the current and the 
feeder lines to the several points of connection with the lighting 
network. All matters relating to public lighting in Buenos Aires are 
in the hands of the Direccion General de*Alumbrado, Municipalidad 
de la Capital, with offices at Calle Moreno 303. 

INCANDESCENT LAMPS. 

Third place in value of imports of electrical products is held by 
incandescent lamps, the average annual importation for the last 
seven years having been approximately $360,000. In 1913 only 7 
per cent came from the United States, we being surpassed by Eng¬ 
land, Holland, and Germany, the last-named country being credited 
with 42 per cent. 

There is little or no demand for any but the metallic-filament 
lamp, with round and pear-shaped bulbs, and only Edison screw 
bases are used except in trains and street cars. Both the Osram 
(English) and the Philips (Dutch) were formerly much more 
popular than American lamps, as it was claimed that they were su¬ 
perior to any other makes. Since the beginning of the war the 
Osram has practically disappeared, but the Philips is stronger than 
ever, largely because it is supplied in the gas-filled, half-watt type, 
for 220-volt circuits, in sizes below 100 candlepower. There is no 
factory in the United States willing to produce this kind of lamp. 
Presumably the reasons are good ones, but the result is that our 
European competitors are obtaining practically all the business of 
the great army of small consumers, who are demanding gas-filled 
lamps almost to the exclusion of all others. The representatives of 
the Philips line are also very active in their manner of handling 
it, are advertising extensively, and are undoubtedly entrenching 
themselves firmly against the competition of other European manu- 


ARGENTINA. 


43 


facturers later on. Their prices are practically on a par with Amer¬ 
ican prices and they carry a very large stock locally, it being esti¬ 
mated that they now have some two million or more lamps piled 
up in warehouses ready to be drawn upon whenever needed. It 
would be difficult for a new firm to make any headway at present 
unless it offered a superior product and lower prices. One type of 
Swedish lamp has been brought in in fairly large numbers, but the 
stocks are stagnant on dealers’ shelves or are being offered at re¬ 
duced prices in order that they may be moved. They are poorly 
finished and many have crooked bases, while the glass is not without 
flaws. Japanese lamps have been offered, but up until the middle of 
1918 none had been brought in except as samples. Italy was for¬ 
merly doing an increasing business, but this has been completely 
stopped for more than a year. 

LOCAL MANUFACTURE. 

A local company was formed in 1916 to manufacture lamps in 
Buenos Aires, but was unsuccessful and went into liquidation early 
in 1918. It is said that the people interested were not trained to 
handle a proposition of this sort, and possibly in other hands it might 
have turned out differently. It would certainly seem that there is 
sufficient business in this and neighboring countries to warrant the 
establishment of a small factory, provided skilled labor and certain 
raw materials could be obtained cheaply and in sufficient quantities. 
A protective tariff would aid materially, and reciprocal low-duty 
agreements could undoubtedly be arranged with the near-by Repub¬ 
lics. With the great interest which is being taken in manufacturing 
in Argentina, it is very probable that either local or foreign capital 
will again take up the matter and compete seriously with imported 
lamps. 

PHILIPS LAMPS. 


Following is a price list of Philips incandescent lamps: 


Kind of lamp. 

Usual 

number 

Candle- 

Vrd+e 

Prices in United 
States gold. 

in 

package. 

power. 

V oils. 

Single 

lamps. 

Per 

hundred. 

TUNGSTEN LAMPS- 






Pear, clear bulb.». 

100 

5-50 

110 

$0.42 

$40.33 

Do. 

72 

10-50 

220 

.51 

48.41 

Pear, frosted bulb. 

72 

10-50 

220 

.59 

56.47 

Spiral, spherical. 

100 

50 watts. 

110 

.51 

48.41 

Do.--. 

100 

50 watts. 

220 

.64 

60.29 

Do. 

50 

50 watts. 

110 or 220 

.93 

88.31 

HALF-WATT LAMPS. 






“Ar{*a”. 

100 

25 and 32 

110 

.58 

56.76 

100 

50 

110 

.63 

60.28 

Do. 

100 

32 

220 

.64 

60.93 

Do.. 

100 

50 

220 

.63 

60.28 

Do. 

100 

100 

220 

1.27 

121. 01 

Half-watt. 

50 

200 

220 

1.70 

161.32 

Do. 

32 

300 

220 

2.55 

241.97 

Do.. 

12 

400 

220 

3.03 

288.67 

Do. 

9 

600 

220 

3. 82 

362.85 

Do. 

7 

1,000 

220 

4.67 

440.61 

Do. 

5 

1,500 

220 

7.64 

725.90 

Do. 

3 

2,000 

220 

10.19 

937.30 

Do. 

3 

3,000 

220 

11.46 

1,088.85 






























44 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


TABLE AND HALL LAMPS. 

There is a fair demand for a high-grade ornamental lamp with 
glass or fabric shade for dining-room and boudoir tables and for 
piano or hall illumination. Shades of silk or other fabrics and many 
of the standards for hall and boudoir lamps are made locally, the 
field for imported goods being confined to ornamental glass or ceramic 
shades, bronze standards, and special types of desk or night reading 
lamps. Owing to the extensive development of the local industry, 
the future market will be confined to such material as can not well 
be imitated or displaced by substitutes. 

The boudoir lamps are usually assembled from parts obtainable 
in any art store, the standards being small statues, porcelain vases, 
and the like, while the shades are fashioned by hand, professionally 
or at home, from various kinds of cloth and attached to wire forms 
which may be had in any number of sizes and shapes. A great many 
tall piano lamps, wall fixtures, and table lamps are made of wood 
and finished with a metallic paint which gives them the appearance 
of bronze or gold. These and the fabric shades are so much cheaper 
than those imported that all competition is eliminated. 

HEATING DEVICES. 

The climate of a greater part of Argentina is such that some means 
of heating houses and offices during three or four months of the year 
is desirable. Until recently very few people considered stoves or 
furnaces a legitimate part of the household equipment, and it was 
a regular custom for a host to receive a guest in a fur coat or ulster. 
This indeed is not uncommon to-day, but with the advent of mod¬ 
ern apartment houses with central heating plants, the comfort of at 
least enough warmth to take the chill out of the air is coming to be 
appreciated more every day. Since there are thousands of houses 
and offices without means of heating, the oil stove, the gas log, and 
the electric radiator are finding favor in large numbers. The radia¬ 
tor, on account of its comparatively high cost of operation and the 
inefficiency of earlier types, has been the last to become popular, but 
now it is going ahead in a fairly satisfactory manner. 

In Buenos Aires and in several other large cities the rates for 
current are relatively low, and this is precisely where the greater 
field naturally exists. In the smaller cities and towns the demand 
is very much less, but even there the people take their cue from the 
capital in the use of new articles, much the same as they do in 
fashions and styles. The price of kerosene, on the other hand, is 
going up, so that considering the greater convenience of the electric 
device, it has every advantage over the oil or gas heater. The most 
potent factor in the increased demand, however, is the extensive pub¬ 
licity, in the way of both display and demonstration, which it is re¬ 
ceiving. This is the only successful way of creating a demand for a 
new article and the product of one manufacturer who has recognized 
this fact is now looked upon as the standard for all such articles. 

The small devices such as irons, grills, and toasters are very well 
received, and on the strength of their satisfactory operation a mar¬ 
ket is being created for many of the less well-known devices such 
as hair curlers, heating pads, and water heaters. All such things 


ARGENTINA. 


45 


must have some one to push them, however, and especially to give 
practical demonstrations, as they are still far from being standard 
commodities which sell themselves. 

COMPETITION. 

European goods have never offered much competition as they have 
always been inferior to the American types alike in construction, 
operation, and finish. The life, too, is an important factor, as the 
circuits are all of 220 volts and great care must be taken with the 
material used to insure that it will stand up under the careless 
handling which it is likely to receive. The present high prices have 
encouraged the establishment of local factories, which are now 
turning out fairly large quantities of irons, grilles, luminous radiators, 
and a small type of focusing-reflector radiator. They are not so 
well finished as the imported articles, but they are sold at somewhat 
lower prices, and an effort is being made to push them on the ground 
that they are national goods. It is not at all unlikely that this move¬ 
ment will continue to gain headway as long as the manufacturers can 
undersell the foreign article and still make a good profit. There will 
always be a nucleus of purchasers who can afford and will prefer to 
buy an imported article, merely because the foreign label appeals 
to them, but they do not constitute the great mass of the buying 
public. Extra diligence is to be observed if we are to maintain our 
present supremacy in this line. 

COOKING RANGES. 

The only way by which cooking ranges can be popularized is for 
the manufacturer, the central station, and the dealer, but especially 
the first two, to carry on a continuous and intensive educational cam¬ 
paign with special inducements as to terms of payment and price of 
current consumed. This is appreciated by the German central sta¬ 
tion in Buenos Aires, which is manufacturing ranges on its premises 
and distributing them through the several branches which it main¬ 
tains throughout the city and suburbs. 

The Italo-Argentina company is not doing anything of this sort 
as yet, for the reason that it can not increase its capacity, but it is 
installing a new generating unit of 10,000 kilowatts and is planning 
to carry on the necessary special propaganda, in conjunction with cer¬ 
tain dealers, as soon as conditions permit. 

Too few ranges have thus far been installed to indicate positively 
which type will prove most popular, but the larger sizes will prob¬ 
ably find the readiest sale at first, as ranges will be bought only by 
the wealthy families. Because of the high prices people in more mod¬ 
erate circumstances can not be expected to purchase even to the same 
extent that they would in the United States, for it must be remembered 
that whatever the cost in the United States it will be at least double in 
Argentina by the time the freight, duties, and other expenses have 
been added. Ovens are rarely used in ordinary house kitchens, as 
there are comparatively few dishes which are not cooked on top of the 
stove. It is quite likely that when the radical change from the present 
stove to the electric range is made, the valuable features of the oven,, 
especially its economy, will appeal to the purchaser, and it is recoin- 


46 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


mended that ranges with ovens be displayed prominently among the 
rest. 

It should be remembered that the class of help that has to use these 
ranges is of low intelligence, and every effort must be put forward 
by the designer to make them “ fool proof.” The types whose heating 
element has exposed coils are not so well adapted to the market as 
those in which this element is totally inclosed. The latter have the 
great advantage that the servants can not come in contact with live 
wires nor can they spill things on them. In either case, as the circuits 
are of 220 volts, something disagreeable happens—usually the ele¬ 
ments burn out. For the present it would be well for manufacturers 
to make a more liberal allowance for free replacement of units, as 
experience shows that breakages are higher in proportion to their use 
with these types than with those of lower voltage. 

Everything is favorable to a big development in the use of ranges. 
Coal, always expensive and very little used, is now practically un¬ 
known in cooking, while wood costs 90 cents per 100 pounds, alcohol 
and kerosene 35 cents per quart, gas $3 per 1,000 cubic feet, and 
charcoal $2.40 per 100 pounds. Although electric current costs 
from 8 cents per kilowatt hour for power to 25 cents per kilowatt 
hour for lighting in the several cities where there is a day service, 
and ranges might consume considerable current, the stations either 
have made special rates or are disposed to make them, so that, as in 
the case of novelties and the smaller heating devices, the extent to 
which ranges can be introduced depends largely upon the amount of 
energy spent in pushing them. 

POWER. 

In previous paragraphs we have pointed out the interest that is 
being taken in developing the country along manufacturing and 
industrial lines. There are to-day over 48,000 factories or shops, 
representing the manufacture of 150 different kinds of material, 
classified into 25 great groups, such as furniture, textiles, and food¬ 
stuffs. In Buenos Aires there were in 1915 approximately 6,500 
establishments, with 13,000 motors, having a total capacity of 92,000 
horsepower. During the same year over 1,200 new establishments 
came into existence, and they installed nearly 3,000 motors, with 
a capacity of 14,000 horsepower. Since then more factories have 
been started, and at present there is a brisk demand for small motors. 
Whether it will continue after the war is over will depend entirely 
upon how well local factories can compete with imported merchandise. 

All coast and river ports are being modernized. The program 
calls for adequate freight-handling machinery, and wherever it can 
conveniently be used electrical operation is preferred. 

For household use very few power devices have been introduced. 
No great demand for them can be created until the conservatism op¬ 
posing them is broken down. This can be accomplished only by much 
effort and propaganda. This is but one of the lines where combined 
representation of related products can do more than any single house 
working alone. 

MOTORS AND CONTROLLERS. 

Nearly all power circuits are of 440 volts, direct current. Less 
numerous are the single and three phase, 50-cycle circuits (60 cycles 


ARGENTINA. 47 

in Cordoba only). In these cases the voltages vary but are mainly 
110, 190, 220, 380, and 440. 

It was impossible formerly to sell a squirrel-cage, rotor-type in¬ 
duction motor in Buenos Aires, as the German central stations pro¬ 
hibited their use on their lines. After much endeavor an American 
company has succeeded partially in having this rule suspended, but 
the station still looks upon them with disfavor. The only valid rea¬ 
son is that German factories do not make this type except on special 
order, and consequently they would be at a disadvantage with their 
wound rotors and brush-lifting devices which are standard with 
them, even down to three horsepower. It is probable that the new 
national regulations being devised will take up this subject in a satis¬ 
factory manner. 

There are no rules regarding forms or speeds, but motors above 
certain capacities must operate on 440 volts if the circuit is direct 
current. Below that they may be 220 volts. This limit is ordinarily 
two to three horsepower. Motors pay duty on weight and should 
be as light for their capacity as is compatible with good service. 
Every known make of European motor is in the market, making com¬ 
petition so severe that price becomes the all-important factor. Euro¬ 
pean motors are rated on a 50° temperature use basis, and when ours 
are likewise rated much of the advantage which the former have 
had up to this time will disappear. 

Our most severe competitors have been the German motor, espe¬ 
cially Siemens and “A. E. G.”, and the Marelli, a well-known Italian 
make. Manufacturers of these motors maintain their own branch 
organizations in Buenos Aires in order to be sure of proper repre¬ 
sentation. American motors are well liked and give entire satisfac¬ 
tion, so it is necessary only to furnish them fitted to local voltage and 
current conditions and with sufficiently low prices in order to get a 
good share of all business offering. 

Ordinarily the cheapest possible form of starting switch or rheostat 
is the only one salable. There are no “ safety-first ” laws and few 
will go to the expense of making an installation of iron-clad boxes 
and similar devices. In fact, American plants, such as the meat¬ 
packing industry, are the only regular users of such “ refinements,” 
as these are considered. No statistics are available to show the types 
and sizes of motors imported, but by far the greater number are in 
sizes from 1 to 20 horsepower, constant speed, without inclosing 
covers. A limited number of motors of fractional horsepower 
ratings can be sold and these should generally be for 220 volts, direct 
or single phase, 50 cycles, alternating current. They are carried in 
stock only by a few of the larger dealers or factory branch houses, 
from whom the contractors or users buy direct. It is highly de¬ 
sirable, therefore, that such representatives have available as large 
a stock as possible. The success of. certain European factories 
has been due, in a great measure, to their ability to make immediate 
delivery. 

PORTS AND FREIGHT-HANDLING MACHINERY. 

Many harbors are being equipped with freight-handling machinery 
and electric drive is chosen for much of it. There are large numbers 
of steam and hydraulic cranes now in use which may be converted 
at a later date. The following list of machinery in the present port 


48 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


of Buenos Aires "will give an idea of the extent to which power is now 
used. This does not include the moving belts and other grain¬ 


handling equipment. 

Tons. 

60 electric cranes, movable_ 1$ 

44 electric cranes, movable_ 2i 

24 electric cranes, movable_ 4 

101 hydraulic cranes, movable_ 1£ 

21 hydraulic cranes, movable__ 2£ 

4 hydraulic cranes, movable_ 5 

I hydraulic crane, fixed_ 30 

II steam cranes, movable_Various 

16 electric wall cranes_ 1 

84 electric wall cranes_ 1 } 

51 hydraulic wall cranes_ li 


The hydraulic cranes are nearly all English and the electric German. 
The new port will have an electric generating plant, cranes, capstans, 
and all modern machinery. This is being constructed by an English 
firm which has a concession from the Argentine Government. Other 
important ports which are being constructed or enlarged are Mar del 
Plata and Bahia Blanca. Numerous smaller coast and river ports are 
in need of similar improvement which will, no doubt, be undertaken 
gradually. The usual manner by which ports are developed is for the 
Government to issue a concession to a private firm giving it the right 
to exploit the port for a period of years in recompense for the im¬ 
provements. The Government also does some work for its own 
account. 

None of the factories or warehouses use the small, self-propelled 
truck or other apparatus for economical freight handling and there 
will be an opportunity for sales of such articles if the industries now 
in their infancy grow to a considerable size. 

sugar factories. 

In 1917, 30 sugar factories were actively grinding. The pro¬ 
duction w T as only 88,000 metric tons, and a better idea of their real 
capacity is had from the operations of 1914, when the output was 
336,000 tons. Sugar factories are located in the northern provinces, 
principally in Tucuman, where there are 30. A report of the third 
national census of the amount of power used in all factories places 
it at 48,220 horsepower, divided as follows: Steam, 44,240; electricity, 
2,115; hydraulic, 520; and the rest divided among gasoline, crude 
oil, and animals.. Many mills are quite old and are equipped with 
antiquated machinery, all expansions having been made by adding 
here and there, until they, are in really bad shape mechanically. 
This condition is reflected in their production efficiency which aver¬ 
ages only 7.8 per cent. 

Two of the best examples of electrification are on the estates of 
Ledesma, in Jujuy, and San Pablo, in Tucuman. The latter instal¬ 
lation was completed in 1914, using three-phase current, 50 cycles, 
225 volts. One 260-kilovolt-ampere, vertical, steam-engine-driven 
generator furnishes the power, which is used to operate some 14 
inclosed motors varying in size from 10 to 50 horsepower. Seven 
direct-connected vertical motors drive Weston centrifugals. The 
motors have short-circuited armature and start with star-delta switch. 













Special Agents Series No. 184. 



FIG. 5.—ARTISTIC STREET LIGHTING STANDARD, BUENOS 

AIRES. 



FIG. 6.—ELECTRICALLY OPERATED TRAVELING BRIDGES, BUENOS AIRES. 


















































Special Agents Series No. 184. 



FIG. 7.—TYPICAL STREET CAR AND OVERHEAD WORK, BUENOS 

AIRES. 





FIG. 8.—HYDRAULIC AND ELECTRIC CRANES ON WHARF AT PORT OF BUENOS AIRES. 






















ARGENTINA. 49 

The centrifugals are equipped with electric brakes. All electrical 
machinery is of German origin. 

There is an opportunity for much more development of electri¬ 
cally-driven sugar mills, but only an experienced representative on 
the spot can take advantage of it. 

TRACTION AND STEAM ROAD ELECTRIFICATION. 

ANGLO-ARGENTINE TRAMWAYS CO. (LTD.). 

Two street-railway companies operate in Buenos Aires, the larger 
being the Compama Anglo-Argentina de Tranvlas, Ltda. This is an 
English company which grew out of an organization formed to 
exploit a street railway and power plant combined. As noted on 
page 30, the Compama Anglo-Argentina and the Compama Alemana 
Transatlantica de Electricidad came to an agreement whereby the 
former turned over its central-station holdings to the latter and 
received from it the street railway which it was exploiting. A long¬ 
term contract was then made whereby the new exclusive tramway 
company should purchase its power from the central station at 
specified rates. It owns over 2,500 cars, including all types of 
motor cars and trailers, of which nearly all are equipped with elec¬ 
tric brakes. About 1,800 are in daily service. Its extension of track 
is 600 kilometers (372 miles) and it contemplates an extensive 
program of expansion for the future. It carried approximately 
290,000,000 passengers in 1917, exclusive of the underground line 
which carried about 30,000,000 more. Nearly all its equipment is 
English and German and, of course, there is a certain advantage in 
continuing to purchase new material and repair parts from the 
same factories; but recently a considerable quantity of American 
material has been used through force of circumstances. It is thus 
becoming familiar where before it was unknown, and a good share 
of this business will be kept after things have become normal again. 
New material can be brought to the attention of the purchasing 
department by communicating with it direct, in Spanish or Eng¬ 
lish. Address, Cia. Anglo-Argentina de Tranvias Electricos, Ave- 
nido de Mayo. 

The subway has a total length of 13.5 kilometers (8.4 miles). 

The trains are of two or more cars, but single cars run out on the 
surface at the suburban end of the underground construction. The 
type of car used for subway traffic is entirely different from that of 
the surface cars, being arranged with two crosswise seats in the 
middle, the rest running lengthwise. They were made in Belgium 
and carry German electrical equipment. Current is collected at a 
potential of 1,000 volts from two overhead wires by means of a 
double pantograph trolley. Multiple-unit control is used and the 
car is equipped with a special type of coupling and flexible control 
cable to permit rapid connecting and disconnecting at the terminal 
station. There are 84 cars and 62 are in daily service. Owing to 
severe conditions of operation, the supplies and renewals necessary 
amount to a substantial yearly figure. Such materials are purchased 
by the department mentioned above. 

120766°—19-4 



50 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


Concessions are held by this company for the construction of 
further subways to connect the three principal railway stations, but 
an extension of time has been granted so that work does not have to 
be begun until a stipulated period after peace is declared, this being 
necessary in order to facilitate the financial arrangements and the 
acquisition of materials. 

COMPANIA LA CROZE DE BUENOS AIRES, LTDA. 

The second important street railway in Buenos Aires is owned and 
operated by the La Croze family, under the name Cia. La Croze de 
Buenos Aires, Ltda. It operates about 400 cars oyer 150 kilometers 
(93 miles) of track and carried during 1917 approximately 50,000,000 
passengers. Its concession gives it the privilege of laying tracks 
within a considerable section of the city which is now without them, 
and as its lines touch the principal points of the downtown business 
district it seems likely that it will be able to expand very materially 
as soon as it can get the necessary rolling stock and equipment. The 
company has its own generating plant in the city, but it is inadequate 
for the demands made upon it, and the company contemplates the 
erection of a new one on the outskirts, where there will be better 
facilities for handling fuel and supplies. Work has not been started 
on this yet, but when it is completed the company will probably 
electrify a portion of the steam road which it now operates. All the 
present equipment is American made, and includes some heavy dou¬ 
ble-track interurban cars of a late model. 

The engineering and installation work was done by an English con¬ 
tracting firm, which still retains a certain interest in the company, 
although it exerts no influence in the purchase of supplies. Ameri¬ 
can material is very favorably received, and any new device or ap¬ 
paratus should be brought to the attention of Director Gerente, Com- 
pania La Croze de Buenos Aires, Ltda., Calle Corrientes 4000, Buenos 
Aires. Correspondence may be in Spanish or English. 

OTHER BUENOS AIRES LINES. 

A company called Tranvfa de Buenos Aires a Quilmes was formed 
in 1905 to take over the operation of a small private line, the conces¬ 
sion for which was first given in 1896. Owing to financial difficulties 
it was unable to complete its program of line extension until various 
arrangements for assistance were made with two German companies, 
the Quilmes Brewery and the Compania Alemana Transatlantica de 
Electricidad, in 1906 and 1908. Since then it has been operating be¬ 
tween Buenos Aires and Quilmes, a small suburb, over an extension 
of about 16 kilometers (10 miles) of track. A large part of its 
business is in hauling freight, and its rolling stock consists of 20 
large passenger cars and 60 motor freight cars. 

The Tranvlas Electricas del Sud is a small road running through 
Buenos Aires from Pineiro to Temperley, two suburbs, over an ex¬ 
tension of track of 21 kilometers (13 miles). Bolling stock consists 
of 60 passenger coaches of various types and it carries about 3,500,000 
passengers yearly. 


ARGENTINA. 


51 


The Tranvias del Puerto y Ciudad de Buenos Aires is a short line 
operating in the vicinity of the port and now under the administra¬ 
tion of the La Croze company. It carried 4,000,000 passengers in 

STREET-CAR LINES IN OTHER CITIES. 

Street-car systems are operated by the several lighting companies 
in Bahia Blanca, Cordoba, La Plata, Mendoza, Rosario, Santa Fe, 
and Tucuman. Most of the rolling stock has English or German 
electrical equipment, Dick, Kerr & Co., British Westinghouse, and 
the Allgemeine Electricitats Gesellschaft being the most prominent 
makers. The installations are in general well made and kept up. 
Overhead material is standard British or German and while it differs 
somewhat from our standards this is usually in minor details so that 
there would be no difficulty in using American material in most 
places. The great tendency is, of course, to continue purchasing the 
makes already in use, but wherever introduced American material 
has been very successful. 

Conditions are not so favorable when it comes to substituting 
motors or control equipment and except in cases of emergency like 
the present there is little to encourage American manufacturers to 
expect very much business of this character. This does not apply 
to such standard material as tapes, armature and field spool wire, 
but it is probable that rarely could orders even for these be obtained 
except through a local representative. Operating as the companies 
are under difficult conditions as regards fuel, labor, etc., and charg¬ 
ing fares no higher than companies in the United States, it is im¬ 
perative that they refrain from experimenting with unknown and 
possibly unreliable material, and for this reason also good material 
once used is sure to continue in constant demand. 

CENTRAL ARGENTINE RAILWAY (LTD.). 

The Ferrocarril Central Argentino (Central Argentine Railway), 
an English company, has one of the largest and most progressive 
systems in the country. Two of its lines pass through the most 
thickly settled suburban district of Buenos Aires, where the traffic 
conditions are very suitable for electrical operation of trains. Both 
lines run from Retiro Station to Tigre, a distance of 28 kilometers 
(17.4 miles), along nearly parallel routes. One was started as an elec¬ 
tric road in August, 1916, and the other will be changed over at some 
future date, according to present plans. Probably at the same time 
the main line will be electrified as far as Villa Ballester, a distance 
of 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Retiro Station. 

The generating plant at Canal San Fernando has been described 
on page 32. The current is fed to the third rail at a potential of 800 
volts. This rail has a cross section something like an inverted L 
and the current is collected by shoes making contact with the under 
surface of its upper flange. It is supported on porcelain insulators 
and the copper bonds are located beneath the fishplates. Under¬ 
ground cables maintain the continuity of the circuit where the third 
rail is interrupted, as at grade crossings. This line is double tracked 
throughout. 


52 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


The car barns have capacity for 100 coaches and are equipped with 
a complete outfit of machinery for making all necessary mechanical 
and electrical repairs. 

Automatic signaling is used only in the terminal yard at Betiro 
Station. Grade crossings are protected by hand-operated signals and 
standard types of gates. 

The trains usually consist of units of one motor coach and trailer 
each, but the number can be reduced or increased as desired, as the 
control is on the multiple-unit basis. All the electric equipment was 
made in England by the British Thomson-Houston Co., or the 
British Westinghouse Co., or in the United States by a company 
closely allied with the former. 

Material for repairs would naturally be purchased from these 
factories, but other articles that manufacturers desire to introduce 
should be brought to the attention of the chief mechanical engineers, 
Ferrocarril Central Argentino, Buenos Aires. Correspondence may 
be in English. 

This electrification plan was laid out and the work supervised by 
the British consulting engineering firm of Merz & McClellan, which 
is also acting in the same capacity for the Ferrocarril Oeste de Buenos 
Aires, or Buenos Aires Western Bailway. 

BUENOS AIRES WESTERN RAILWAY. 

This road is also owned by an English company and is engaged 
in electrifying its suburban lines for a distance of 22.3 kilometers 
(13.7 miles) from the Once Station, its Buenos Aires terminal. The 
generating station is practically completed and much of the track 
work has been finished, but the present condition of world affairs 
has halted progress on the work for the time being. 

Direct current at 800 volts pressure will be collected from the third 
rail by the usual form of contact shoe. A train unit will consist of a 
motor coach and trailer. Shops for repair and small new construc¬ 
tion work will be located near the center of the proposed total length 
of the electrified section. There will be four substations with an 
equipment of 10,000 kilowatts in motor generators and 1,700 kilo¬ 
watts in frequency changes and motor generators. Substation ma¬ 
chinery is coming from Dick, Kerr & Co. and the British Thom¬ 
son-Houston Co. In addition to the motor coaches there will be 
several electric locomotives for freight trains. These are coming 
from the British Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. (Ltd.). 
AH generators, motors, and cables are designed for ultimate opera¬ 
tion on 1,600 volts when traffic warrants such a change. 

For the city terminal the electric trains will occupy jointly with 
the cars of the Anglo-Argentine Tramway Co. the subway station 
at Plaza Once. Necessary construction work making this possible 
has been completed. A tunnel below the present subway will be 
used to transfer freight between the docks and Once Station, a dis¬ 
tance of 5 kilometers (3 miles). Overhead trolley will be used in the 
tunnel and on the wharves instead oi the third rail. 

Manual signaling will be employed, this being considered adequate 
as the road is double tracked. As noted above, the electrification 
project is under the supervision of Merz & McClellan, British con- 


ARGENTINA* 


53 


suiting engineers, but all communications relative to possible sales 
of electrical or other material should be addressed to the Ingeniero 
Electrico, Ferrocarril Oeste de Buenos Aires, Ltdo., Flores, Buenos 
Aires. 

BUENOS AIRES GREAT SOUTHERN. 

Plans are under way for electrifying a section of the lines of the 
Buenos Aires Great Southern Bailway (Ferrocarril del Sud), a 
steam road which covers the Province of Buenos Aires, with city 
terminal at Constitucion Station. It is not in a position to make 
public any information on this project but as it is an English com¬ 
pany and rather closely connected with other Argentine railway 
interests the features of the two electrifications previously described 
will very probably be taken as standards for it also. 

TELEPHONES AND TELEGRAPHS. 

The first telephones were installed in Argentina in 1881 when 
two companies were established. In 1883 an American company was 
operating under the name “ Companla Union Telefonica,” when it 
with other existing companies was purchased by an English syndi¬ 
cate. Since then this combination has continued as the Companla 
Union Telefonica del Bio de La Plata. In the same year the Coop- 
erativa Telefonica was established. Other companies have been 
formed in different parts of the country until now there are some 
cate. Since then this combination has continued as the Companla 
Union Telefonica del Bio de La Plata and the Cooperativa Telefon¬ 
ica, which together serve over 60,000 subscribers. Fully three- 
fourths of the subscribers of each company live within the Federal 
District. That there is room for expansion will be seen from the fact 
that the whole country has not more than 80,000 subscribers, which 
is only one instrument per hundred inhabitants, and in Buenos Aires, 
the Federal District, there are less than three and a half instruments 
per hundred. 

Public pay telephones are not common. There are about 200 pri¬ 
vate branch exchanges, and intercommunicating telephones are being 
adopted to some extent. The future should develop considerable 
business along these two lines. Farmers’ lines are also slowly in¬ 
creasing in number, though the great distances make for slow prog¬ 
ress. 

The railroad companies have a small number of telephone lines 
paralleling their telegraph service. There are no Government or 
municipal exchanges. Half the companies are owned by individuals 
and the other half are divided among groups such as partnerships 
or corporations. The Government exercises general supervision 
over them, but does not directly control them.. By the terms of the 
concessions which it grants, it reserves the right to take over all 
property at the expiration of 30 years upon payment of a stipulated 
sum. 

Toll-line service is not extensive, the longest line being 450 kilo¬ 
meters (280 miles). Buenos Aires has many lines extending into 
the near-by interior and is connected with La Plata, Bosario, and 
Mar del Plata, among other important places. 


54 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


TELEPHONE INSTRUMENTS. 

The instruments in all the small installations are of the local- 
battery, hancl-magneto type, with one-piece receiver and transmitter. 
Desk and wall types are about equally popular. There is a con¬ 
tinuous demand for material of this kind, but the individual orders 
are so small that purchases are made from local stocks rather than 
by direct importation. This means that it is imperative for a man¬ 
ufacturer to have a local representative, capable of effectively solic¬ 
iting business, if he is ambitious for more than stray orders. In the 
keen competition of past years a Swedish company has been more 
successful than any other European firm, owing to its ability to 
sell good apparatus at low prices. The service required is not very 
high class, so the cheaper the equipment the greater the likelihood 
of doing business. 

It is felt that as the country develops there will be several oppor¬ 
tunities for safe investment in the establishment of new companies 
and in the consolidation under one management of small exchanges 
in various sections of the interior. 

GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPH LINES. 

The Direccion General de Correos y Telegrafos (Department of 
Posts and Telegraphs) controls and operates nearly all the telegraph 
lines throughout the Republic. They cover some 41,000 kilometers 
(25,000 miles), with over 130,000 miles of wire, counting multiple 
circuits. The annual increase during the last five j^ears averaged 
1,400 kilometers (870 miles) of line and 3,510 kilometers (2,180 
miles) of wire. This development is less than it would have been 
had world conditions been normal. The apparatus used varies with 
the size and importance of the office, but they are largely European 
made, Morse type, plain or recording. All supplies of whatever 
nature are bought as a result of bids offered in answer to tender and 
specifications issued in September of one year and covering the re¬ 
quirements of the next. As only 30 days are allowed in which to 
put in a bid, and a stock must be kept from which immediate deliv¬ 
eries can be made whenever required by the Department, none but 
firms with local branches or representatives can compete for this 
business. 

A copy of the licitation for 1918 is on file in the Bureau of For¬ 
eign and Domestic Commerce, Room 734, Customhouse, New York, 
and may be inspected by requesting catalogue 49. 

GERMAN LINE TO URUGUAY. 

The Companfa Telegrafico-Telefonica Nacional is a German com¬ 
pany having telephone lines from Buenos Aires to Rosario and a 
cable and telegraph line to Montevideo (under the name Companfa 
Telegrafico-Telefonica del Plata). 

UNION TELEPHONE CO. 

The Companfa Union Telefonica del Rio de la Plata (Union Tele¬ 
phone Co. of the River Plate) is the largest telephone company in 
Argentina, having upward of 50,000 subscribers, over half of whom 


ARGENTINA. 


55 


are in Buenos Aires alone. In the city stations central-battery 
energy is used with motor generators for charging and auxiliaries 
for ringing. In fact, it is well equipped in every respect except 
that the main exchange has far outgrown its location. New ex¬ 
changes being erected follow certain standardized plans which per¬ 
mit the use of modern boards and cable racks and allow for ample 
future growth. 

Most of the underground wiring is done with 600 pair cables. 
The company needs more cables and material of various kinds, but 
is refraining from further extension for the present, as a recent 
decree of the Argentine Federal Government specifies that the erec¬ 
tion of new lines or the undertaking of other work after date of 
decree can be done only by concession for 30 years, at the end of 
which time the property reverts free to the Government. 

All telephone expansion to-day is more preparatory for the future 
than designed to pay immediate dividends, and hence under such a 
regulation development is confined to localities where earnings will 
provide an amortization fund in addition to dividends. 

Practically all material used is of one type, some being made in 
England and some in the United States. The company is English 
and purchases all large orders only through its London office. Con¬ 
siderable weight, however, is placed on the recommendation of the 
Buenos Aires management; consequently anyone interested in intro¬ 
ducing material should correspond (in English) with the Chief 
Engineer, Companla Union Telefonica, Avenida de Mayo, Buenos 
Aires. 

SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA TELEFONICA. 

The second telephone company operating in Buenos Aires is the 
Sociedad Cooperativa Telefonica. This is a cooperative company, 
as its name indicates, practically all the 8,000 subscribers being 
shareholders. Three-quarters of the company's lines are located in 
the municipality, the rest being in the smaller towns surrounding 
Buenos Aires. The switchboard in the main exchange is composed 
of 28 units of 100 numbers each, made by a Swedish company. A 
600-ampere-hour storage battery furnishes the power for operating 
the boards and motor-driven ma'gnetos are employed for ringing. 
At the subscriber’s instrument ringing is done by hand magneto and 
the current for talking is supplied by local dry cells. There are no 
party lines and practically all circuits have metallic returns. In the 
smaller exchanges the switchboards are of various makes, the leading 
ones being Western Electric and Ericsson. Very little expansion is 
under way on account of the abnormal prices and the difficulty of 
getting any new material. These circumstances have also led the 
company to do a small amount of manufacturing in its repair shops, 
the articles made to date being drop cords, connection boards, and- 
magneto coils. The majority of the telephones are of wall types, 
and of a well-known Swedish make, the rest being of various other 
European makes. The policy of the company is, in general, to 
obtain material at the best prices available rather than confine itself 
to one style or manufacturer. 

All cables in the city are laid underground, the largest one being 
of 250 twisted pairs. "From these cables the subscribers’ service is 


56 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


taken through outlet boxes located in each block or at convenient 
points of distribution. There is need of considerable material for 
repairs and development work, but, as the company will confine itself 
to the purchase of the smallest amount possible for the present, its 
deferred business will be worth obtaining. All communications, 
which may be in English, should be addressed to Mr. P. Gregorio 
Sloan, Administrador de la Sociedad Cooperativa Telefonica, Calle 
Cangallo 1206, Buenos Aires. 

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. 

The Government is the only user of wireless sets aside from the 
private companies that have concessions for high-power stations for 
international communication. A station is already under way which 
will talk with England and Australia. For supplying low-power 
sets, foreign companies have already entered the field, particularly the 
Telefunken, of Germany. Both Marine and War Departments have 
small sets of the latter type, but they are now buying another make. 
Amateur use of wireless outfits is not allowed, but the Marine De¬ 
partment, under whose care all wireless is placed, trains yearly a 
number of operators to fill the positions opened from time to time 
in the Government or merchant marine service. 

All war and merchant boats have wireless sets which theoretically, 
at least, are never out of touch with one another or with the land sta¬ 
tions along the coast. Several stations are located in the interior 
for maintaining communication with sections which otherwise would 
be nearly inaccessible. By means of these stations communication 
may also be maintained with the neighboring Republics that have 
their own wireless systems fairly well developed. 

The Marconi interests are represented by the Companfa Marconi 
de Telegrafos sin Hilos del Rio de la Plata (Marconi Wireless Tele¬ 
graph Co. of the River Plate). The Telef unken Co. also has a branch 
or a representative in Buenos Aires. 

MARKET FOR SPECIFIC ARTICLES. 

DRY BATTERIES. 

There has been an increased demand for dry cells in recent months 
on account of the scarcity and increase in the cost of the Leclanche 
or sal ammoniac cell. They are used chiefly for doorbells, annuncia¬ 
tors, and automobile ignition. American makes are generally well 
accepted, one in particular having given very good service, so that its 
name is now practically synonymous with the term dry battery. 
This is due entirely to the fact that the agent pushing it devotes 
practically his whole time to the products of that one company. 

Most of the demand is for the standard No. 6 size, with either 
round or square outer carton. Some combination sets with three or 
more cells are also used, but they are rather too expensive for ordinary 
use. 

The hardest competition comes from the Hellesens, a Danish cell 
of high quality. It has disappeared from the market temporarily, 
but will no doubt return and attempt to recover lost ground. On 


ARGENTINA. 


57 


account of its reputation and slightly lower prices in normal times it 
will surely succeed to a large degree, although continued activity on 
the part of American manufacturers who ship only selected, freshly 
made goods to counteract the effects of the long voyage through the 
Tropics will assure them a continuation of a large part of the business 
which they enjoy. There is a tendency among dealers to require 
special labels for each one, but such practice is hardly good policy for 
the manufacturer who can, if he has good agents, make his own trade¬ 
marks known and demanded. 

Several local establishments have attempted to make dry batteries 
but none has gone very far, and the movement probably will not con¬ 
stitute a real menace to the trade in the better grade of imported 
cell as long as there is only a very limited amount of capital and expe¬ 
rience behind it. 


STORAGE AND WET BATTERIES. 

All central stations follow the European custom and install storage 
batteries of large capacity which float permanently on the line. 
Nearly all these are English “ Tudor ” or German “Accumulatoren 
Fabrik” type, both of which are handled by special representatives 
in Buenos Aires. All repair parts must come from them, and they 
are in an enviable position for securing all new business also. More¬ 
over, they are apparently protected by patent rights or working 
agreements in the sole occupation of this territory. 

Small sets are used on automobiles for starting and lighting, and 
there is a small demand for replacements and for equipping old cars 
or cars of European make, few of which have either starting or 
lighting systems of any sort. These batteries do not need to be of 
very great capacity, as they are used for interior and side lights only. 
There are no well-organized service stations to take care of the bat¬ 
teries, and this seems to have had an influence in holding back their 
* adoption on a large scale. The types commonly offered for sale are 
the familiar 30, 60, and 120 ampere-hour lead battery, American 
made, European factories seemingly contenting themselves with the 
central-station type. The nickel-iron cell has lately been seen also, 
but comparatively few persons care to pay its greater first cost when 
its virtues are not explained in detail sufficiently to enable them to 
perceive that it may have compensating features. 

The railroads and the Government use large numbers of Leclanche 
and sulphate of copper cells for their telegraph circuits. The Gov¬ 
ernment alone has asked for approximately 70,000 rubber jars and 
100,000 elements, which will be its requirements for 1918. These are 
always bought as the result of a public call for tenders, but in order 
to encourage local firms the Government allows a period of time for 
answering which is sufficient only for houses located in Buenos Aires. 

Telephone companies in the larger cities have small central-energy 
plants for much of their service, but a large number of magnetos and 
local-battery instruments are yet in use. Until recently Leclanche 
cells have been most used in this service, but there is a general 
movement toward the use of dry cells, particularly where the indi¬ 
vidual user owns them and has to replace them when they are worn 
out. 


58 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


CARBON BRUSHES. 

Since nearly all central stations furnish direct current there is 
always a good demand for carbon brushes of various sizes and grades. 
A local factory makes such material as one of its specialties, but the 
quality leaves much to be desired, and consequently the imported 
article is more in favor. Nearly all the power circuits are of 220 and 
440 volts, with the customary 550 volts for tramway service. . Alter¬ 
nating current is being extended very rapidly in the industrial dis¬ 
tricts in and around Buenos Aires, but even with this there is still a 
field for brushes, as the motors are practically all of the slip-ring 
type. 

The Government uses a considerable number, especially in the 
Navy Department, and has published a report giving in detail the 
number, size, and quality of every type used in its arsenals and on 
board its flotilla. This report is a standardizing compilation or cata¬ 
logue for the use of the Navy Department in calling for bids and of 
the electrical trade in making offers. On account of the great diver¬ 
sity in dimension it is more convenient to stock the carbon in sheets 
and cut it to meet individual requirements than to carry a supply of 
each type already made up. One of the larger brush-manufacturing 
companies has its own staff in Buenos Aires, while several others are 
represented more or less actively. [The above-mentioned catalogue, 
in Spanish, may be consulted by interested parties upon application 
to the New York office of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com¬ 
merce, Room 734, Customhouse.] 

CARBONS FOR ARC LAMPS. 

With the decrease in the use of arc lamps there has come a decrease 
in the demand for carbons. Formerly the whole demand was sup¬ 
plied bv Austria and Germany, those offered from other countries 
having been of a lower grade. Recently a local factory has been 
supplying carbon in fairly large quantities but of an inferior quality 
and at prices higher than those for the American product. Carbons 
are still required in quantities sufficient to make the business attrac¬ 
tive for some manufacturers, but, except for the special carbons for 
the projectors of motion-picture theaters, the demand is rapidly fall¬ 
ing off toward zero. These special carbons can be sold directly to 
the theaters through local agents or through the established houses 
which furnish the films. 

CONDUIT AND ACCESSORIES. 

The only kind of conduit which has been used very extensively is 
that known generally as “ Bergmann tubing.” Briefly this consists 
of a spirally wound strip of special paper impregnated with an in¬ 
sulating compound and surrounded by a closely wrapped and locked 
covering of thin brass or steel, usually the latter, with a galvanized 
or lacquered brass or lead finish to prevent oxidation. All buildings 
are constructed of brick or concrete, consequently the fire hazard 
is reduced to a minimum and Bergmann tubing makes a very cheap 
yet satisfactory conduit for all classes of interior work except where 


AKGENTINA. 


59 


the wires are to be embedded in the walls. Where the location is 
unusually dangerous or where there is an excess of moisture, and 
also for all embedded circuits, a light-weight enameled iron con¬ 
duit, often little more than gas pipe or bed tubing, is used. Stand¬ 
ard underwriter conduit is far too heavy and expensive, not only in 
first cost but also in freight and duty charges, both of which are 
based on weight. The only way of introducing it is through some 
contractor who appreciates the superiority of such conduit and is 
willing to demonstrate it to architects and owners of new buildings. 

All the Bergmann tubing formerly came from Germany, but owing 
to the present scarcity Italian and Spanish manufacturers have taken 
it up, and brokers are even showing samples of locally made mate¬ 
rial. This last, especially, is inferior in every respect. 

A light-weight, welded-joint, enameled iron pipe would be very 
acceptable, one weighing, say, about one-third of the underwriter 
standard tubing, and it need not be so well finished. Price is the all- 
important consideration, as there are no enforced regulations regard¬ 
ing its quality or construction. The cheapest iron conduit now used 
has an open joint and is not threaded, union being made simply by 
forcing into a coupling. This type is hardly worth reproducing, as 
it is not in popular demand. 

The sizes are the same as those of our standard conduit, that is, 
based on nominal diameter, J, f, and f inch, and each tube should be 

3 meters (9.84 feet) long. The material should be soft enough to 
permit bending over the knee in the above three sizes, as the wiremen 
are accustomed to handling it in this way, and prefer to continue 
doing so. Elbows would be little used. 

The pre-war prices of the iron or steel conduit most used, a 
soldered and threaded pipe, were $4.62 per 100 meters (328 feet) 
for the |-inch; $5.34 for the f-inch; and $6.40 for the f-inch. All 
prices were f. o. b. Hamburg. 

The Bergmann tubing must also be of such a quality as will per¬ 
mit easy bending without collapsing. Special pliers are employed 
for this work. Measurements are for actual inside diameter, and run 
7, 9, 11, 13J, 16, and 23 millimeters (millimeter=0.039 inch). 
Only the 9 and 11 millimeter sizes are in common demand. The 
price per 100 meters, f. o. b. Hamburg, was $2.19 for the 9-millimeter, 
and $2.48 for the 11-millimeter sizes. 

There is no sale for textile or fabric conduit, and very little for 
flexible steel. 

For laying underground cables, in some cases a sort of brick trough, 
with wooden top, is constructed and in others the armored cable is 
laid right in the soil, its only protection being a wooden plank, laid 

4 inches above it. Consequently, in repairing old cables, or lay¬ 
ing new ones, the whole sidewalk is torn up. Tile or fiber con¬ 
duits were proposed, but met with a cool reception, although it 
would not be surprising if one or both were to be adopted before 
long by the central stations, which are now put to a. great expense 
and annoyance whenever any work of this sort has to be done. 
Manufacturers of suitable material would do well to send descriptive 
matter, preferably in Spanish, to Ing. Agustin Zamboni, director 
general, Cla. Italo-Argentina de Electricidad, Calle Corrientes 651, 
Buenos Aires. 


60 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


DOOR BELLS. 

There is nothing unusual about the kind of door bells ordinarily 
used. Both iron and wooden boxes are popular, with a slight prefer¬ 
ence for the former. In the cities practically every house has one 
bell and many have two, and there are also servants’ bells in the larger 
houses. So the demand is relatively large. This is a line which has 
felt the effect of the lack of building during the last few years and 
sales should improve materially with the renewal of construction 
activity, which is now in evidence on a reduced scale. The greater 
part of the bells were formerly bought from Germany on account of 
low prices, which were well below American prices, our' products 
holding but a poor second place. At present American bells are 
practically the only ones to be found on sale and they are proving very 
satisfactory. It is possible that they might obtain a firmer grip on 
the market if manufacturers were to offer some inducements to dealers 
for ordering a variety of spare gongs to fit standard boxes. The 
dealer could then afford to carry a much greater effective stock, and 
as long as American and European prices remained nearly equal he 
would not want to change to a different type while he still had a good 
stock of American bells on hand. 

Buzzers are very little used, and should be brought more forcibly to 
the dealers’ attention, as they have some advantage over the bells in 
price and cost of transportation. 

Nearly all house circuits are supplied with direct current, hence 
bell-ringing transformers have practically no place. Both the sal 
ammoniac and the dry cell are extensively used for this purpose. 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES. 

At present there are three electric vehicles in Buenos Aires, prob¬ 
ably the only ones in Argentina, no great efforts having been made to 
develop sales. Although at least three manufacturers of pleasure 
and commercial electric cars are represented in Buenos Aires, it is 
certain that nothing can be done without active propaganda, as the 
modern electric automobile is entirely unknown. Gasoline cars have 
been imported in considerable numbers and the purchasing public is 
very conservative in the adoption of new types. Every pleasure-car 
owner has a chauffeur and consequently can not be appealed to on the 
ground that the electric car is cleaner and easier to handle, nor does 
the usual advertising point that it is especially suitable for women 
have any force, since it is entirely contrary to local custom for women 
to drive automobiles. 

The use of electric trucks will probably be longer in developing than 
any other form'of transportation, although general conditions are 
very favorable for them. There is a great amount of delivery, both 
from wholesale to retail stores and from retail stores to customers, 
nearly all of which involves only short hauls and much starting and 
stopping. The street grades are very moderate in Buenos Aires, and 
this is generally true also for the interior cities. One of the central 
stations in Buenos Aires has interested itself in this subject, and has 
expressed an intention to establish charging stations and undertake 
an active campaign, in cooperation with one of the local representa¬ 
tives of electric automobiles, for the purpose of popularizing electric 


ARGENTINA. 


61 


vehicles in general. All attempts at introducing them in the past 
have failed, but it is possible that with the cooperation of the central 
station a demand can be created of which American manufacturers 
can take advantage. 

Taxicabs are very popular, particularly in Buenos Aires, and it 
might be entirely practicable to establish a line of electric cabs 
which would be not only a source of profit in itself but an example 
of the efficiency and adaptability of the electric vehicle for city use. 
Low rates for battery charging could be obtained from the central 
stations and this could be made the basis of considerable advertising 
propaganda, contrasting the low cost and availability of electricity 
with the high cost and occasional shortage of gasoline. The price 
of gasoline to-day is approximately 60 cents per gallon, while elec¬ 
tricity for battery-charging purposes could undoubtedly be obtained 
for 6 cents or less per kilowatt hour. 

In considering Buenos Aires as a market for electric trucks, it 
should be borne in mind that reasonably good draft horses can be 
purchased in Buenos Aires for sums ranging from 50 to 100 pesos 
(paper peso = 42.4 cents United States currency), while in the coun¬ 
try large numbers are to be had for 15 to 40 pesos. [For further 
information regarding Argentina as a market for automobiles see 
“Argentine Markets for Motor Vehicles,” Miscellaneous Series No. 
62, for sale for 5 cents by the district offices of the Bureau of For¬ 
eign and Domestic Commerce and by the Superintendent of Docu¬ 
ments, Government Printing Office, Washington.] 

ELEVATORS. 

More elevators are used in Buenos Aires than in any other city in 
South America and for that reason competition is severe. No less 
than 30 factories are represented, although most of them have never 
done any business worth mentioning. An American firm has secured 
a large part of the best class of this business, principally because it 
has its own engineering office in Buenos Aires, capable of making up 
estimates for prospective customers and maintains an inspection and 
service department with a large stock of renewals. The field is 
mostly for moderate-speed freight and passenger elevators, with 
car switch, and for small, automatic, apartment-house types. Very 
few buildings have over six stories, the height of each story being 
15 to 20 feet. In the smaller cities of the interior the market for 
elevators is less than in the capital and is easily supplied from there. 

The demand for low-grade machinery is filled by European fac¬ 
tories or by local constructors, several of whom are now profiting by 
the abnormal trade conditions. American manufacturers can not 
compete against this low-grade machinery unless they also omit all 
refinements of control, limit switches, and similar features thought 
necessary in the United States. 

FANS. 

For over half the year, fans are agreeable in offices and restaurants 
or other places where people congregate during the day, and they are 
being used in increasing numbers. Both ceiling and desk fans are 
popular, with the latter gaining in general favor. Special arrange- 


62 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


ments have to be made for suspending ceiling fans on account of the 
height of the rooms. Extra-long pipe is desirable in some cases, al¬ 
though generally each problem is met in a manner that seems most 
suitable, standard equipment being adapted by the contractor to 
each job. 

Oscillating desk fans of 12 and 14 inches are the best sellers. With 
some effort a smaller size, say of 6 or 8 inches, could be introduced for 
individual use, and this may be of the stationary type. The standard 
black-enamel finish is very acceptable for ordinary use, but various 
colors and more artistic designs would take very well for use in the 
better-class homes where the people are more inclined toward the 
French than the plain and solid American styles. 

With the cool breezes which blow throughout the country nearly 
every summer afternoon and the cool evenings, there is relatively 
little demand for fans for home use. In common with many other 
household devices they are looked upon as superfluous or as an ex¬ 
travagance owing to the conservatism which still prevades the home 
and it will take a good deal of work to overcome this obstacle. 

Competition has been chiefly with Italian fans which have been 
sold on price rather than quality. The largest distributer is the firm 
of Erole Marelli, an Italian house maintaining display rooms and a 
competent staff of salesmen in Buenos Aires. Its product will not 
compare favorably with.the best American product, either mechani¬ 
cally or electrically, but the price is more favorable to the purchaser 
and consequently it has been able to sell more than all other makers 
combined. Formerly German, English, and American fans were each 
sold in about equal quantities, sharing approximately 40 per cent of 
the total business. The American types are now preferred and they 
should maintain their present prominent place, provided the local 
agents are sufficiently diligent in pushing them. One make has 
gained particular favor on account of its pleasing design and good 
operation, and the personality of the agent handling it. 

FLASH LIGHTS. 

Comparatively little attention is devoted to sale of the flash light, 
so there is still room for a material increase. It seems to be regarded 
simply as a curiosity and not as a valuable article for everyday use. 
This undoubtedly is due to the fact that no attempt has been "made 
to popularize it through persistent propaganda work, and that the 
principal places where it is exhibited are the novelty stores, where 
the freak shapes, such as imitation pistols are found, but the standard 
types are lacking. With all new and unfamiliar articles in a foreign 
market, a great deal of effort must be made before they are recognized 
and accepted as standard articles of trade. This has never been done 
in the case of flash lights, therefore there is no steady demand for 
them as yet. An American-made product has had the most success 
and will hold first position if care is taken to cater to the best trade 
only. 

Needless to say, one of the requirements in building up a successful 
business in these lamps is that there must always be available a 
reliable supply of good batteries; otherwise the dealer can not push 
sales, as he knows that the inability to get renewals when needed 


ARGENTINA. 


63 


would prevent his customers from using the flash lights extensively 
or would make them lose interest entirely. Under the most favorable 
conditions a large percentage of the life of the battery is gone before 
it reaches its destination, as it is then already nearly 2 months old. 
If it is not feasible to make a special export lamp, therefore, care 
should be used in selecting those which are sent. To keep the dealers’ 
stocks as fresh as possible frequent shipments in small lots are prefer¬ 
able to large shipments. In view of the present freight situation, 
and even in normal times, the parcel-post service could undoubtedly 
be used to good advantage. 

HOUSEHOLD DEVICES AND NOVELTIES. 

Very few people know or care anything about the large number 
of devices such as vacuum cleaners and laundry machinery which 
are available for home use. Many have been introduced but 
none has met with any marked success. Any real progress along 
these lines requires more effort than the average dealer is willing to 
make. His idea is always to make as much profit as possible from 
ready sellers and not to bother with trying to push articles which 
apparently are not popular, or with which he may not be any too 
well acquainted. It seems doubtful, therefore, if any business will de¬ 
velop which would warrant special attention from a manufacturer of 
these lines unless he should be able to join a selling combination such 
as has often been mentioned as a solution of the problem of how best 
to advance the interest of the small manufacturer in foreign trade. 

INSULATORS. 

No class of material shows more clearly than do insulators the 
European influence upon the electrical market. Before the war Ger¬ 
many and England were the only two countries which supplied 
them in quantities, consequently the sizes and shapes conform to the 
standards of those countries. The difference between these and 
American standards is particularly noticeable in aerial circuits of 
power, lighting, and telegraph lines. The countries mentioned use 
only white glazed porcelain insulators with grooved top and double 
petticoat, for straight and curved pins, these being much larger and 
heavier than the corresponding glass insulators of the United States. 
The latter are practically unknown, as the average annual importa¬ 
tion for the last six years has been only $400, and these were intended 
for one company, the only one which Americans helped to establish 
and which follows American practices more or less closely. 

Glass insulators might compete with those of porcelain if they 
were properly presented. There must be an advantage in price, 
however, to offset the prejudice against them which most people seem 
to have. The use of glass insulators is an entirely new idea to them 
and they will not take to it at once. Perhaps an easier entrance into 
the market could be made by manufacturers of porcelain insulators, 
especially if they were to offer European types, provided that both 
in quality and price their products compared favorably with those 
already in the market. Careful study by the manufacturer would be 
required, and he should have a local agent who could forward sam¬ 
ples and otherwise inform him regarding the kind most in demand. 


64 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


The first type to experiment upon would be that used by the Direc- 
cion General de Correos y Telegrafos (Department of Mails and 
Telegraphs). The requirements of this department for 1918 were 
30,000, which were called for by public tender issued September 6, 
1917. It would be necessary to have a representative in Buenos 
Aires and to make up a number of insulators for stock, as only 30 
days are allowed before the tenders are opened and “ every bidder 
must be ready to deliver immediately upon being notified of the ac¬ 
ceptance of his proposal at least one-quarter of the material adjudi¬ 
cated, and in addition must hold himself liable to fill at any moment 
the orders which the administrative director or chief of the ware¬ 
house office may make upon him.” 

The field for moderate or high tension insulators is negligible, as 
nearly all central stations have only low-voltage, direct-current equip¬ 
ment. The Buenos Aires 10,000, 12,500, and 20,000 volt circuits are 
all placed underground. Several stations in the interior have cur¬ 
rents of 5,000 volts or over, the highest being 44,000 at Tucuman. 
The total length of such lines probably does not exceed 100 miles 
and there is little likelihood of extension, as very few waterfalls 
are available and steam or petroleum plants are naturally located as 
close as possible to the center of consumption. American high- 
tension insulators have been used to a small extent and are considered 
satisfactory as to price and quality, so the standard models have an 
equal chance in any new business which may develop. It could be 
obtained, however, only through a permanent representative, on 
account of its small volume and infrequent occurrence. 

Tubes only are used for entrance, as the buildings are all of brick 
and plaster and do not admit of the so-called knob and tube work 
familiar in our frame houses. Short, straight tubes or tubes with 
curved ends for weather drops are the two popular types. 

A great deal of interior wiring is done with flexible cord, which is 
run on small knobs. An average knob would be about one-half inch 
in diameter and one-sixteenth inch high. Since there is no regulation 
regarding size this becomes a question of price only. These knobs 
formerly came from Germany, as did most of the small porcelain 
ware, but recently Japan has been sending them in quantities and 
will probably continue to do so until it occupies the leading position. 
Cleats and split knobs are used only sparingly, European designs in 
both cases being the only ones known until recently. 

Among the exhibits accompanying this report are the printed 
licitation of the Telegraph Department for 1918, a catalogue of Ger¬ 
man porcelain manufactures, and a few samples of small insulators. 
[These may be inspected at the New York office of the Bureau of 
Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Room 734, Customhouse.] 

METERS. 

Fixed rates are unpopular among central-station managers and 
there is therefore a very general demand for house meters. A ma¬ 
jority of these are for direct current and for 220-volt circuits, with 
a capacity of 2 to 10 amperes. In Buenos Aires both the German and 
the Italian companies are largely committed to the purchase of meters 
from closely allied manufacturers. In the interior cities the choice 
depends largely on price and suitability of the individual meters. 


ARGENTINA. 


65 


Evidence that American meters did not fulfill both these requirements 
satisfactorily, or that the meters were not vigorously pushed, is 
shown in the import statistics for 1913. Out of a total of $688,000 
worth of meters imported, Germany’s share was $630,000. English 
makes were second highest, but after the war began did not succeed 
in obtaining first place; in fact, in 1915 they had dropped to fourth, 
being then only one-half of the imports from Germany and about 
one-fourth of the imports from the United States. 

Several American meters are now being offered, and if it were not 
for the special connections of the two large central stations, Ameri¬ 
cans would be able to hold a good deal of their business in the future. 
It is doubtful whether they can do so with the reappearance of 
European meters in the market. Although quality is appreciated 
to a certain extent, the most important factor is the price, as the 
central stations look upon the meter as an expense rather than a pro¬ 
ductive investment. One mercury meter embodies both low cost and 
quality and has been particularly well received by all the large users. 
Competition arose unexpectedly some two years ago through the 
appearance of a direct-current, ampere-hour meter made in local 
shops. The manufacturer’s name is Siemens-Schuckert (Ltda.), a 
branch of the German factory of the same company, and the meters 
are reproductions of standard types formerly imported by this firm. 
It claims to have made and sold over 14,000 meters up to May, 1918. 
The prices quoted are not lower than for some American meters, and 
it is not felt that these meters will compete seriously with ours in the 
future. For one thing, the new regulations being prepared will un¬ 
doubtedly prohibit the use of ampere-hour meters on account of the 
possible abuses in overcharging customers. 

Practically an identical meter is being made by a local company 
known as La Electro Metalica Argentina, or Dankert y Cla., Bar- 
tolome Mitre 556, Buenos Aires. There is a possibility that this 
company has an agreement with Siemens-Schuckert to build their 
type of meter, perhaps with the idea that business might be ob¬ 
tained from firms which would refuse to deal with a German house. 
This company also makes a Ferraris-type, single-phase, induction 
meter. This has met with small favor up to the present, on account 
of both construction and price. In a recent proposal for meters 
presented to the Administration General de las Usinas Electricas del 
Estado in Montevideo the prices offered were conspicuously higher 
than those of the American meters which obtained the contract. 

All meters should have a cyclometer dial or a direct-reading disk 
dial with only the correct figures showing at any one time. The 
standard American type is accepted now, but if manufacturers persist 
in offering this type only, they will undoubtedly hurt their future 
trade very decidedly. 

[Illustrated pamphlets of the Dankert meters and a Siemens 
ampere-hour meter may be inspected at the New York office of the 
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Room 734, Custom¬ 
house.] 

MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC APPARATUS. 

Most doctors and dentists are very quick to appreciate advances 
in the quality of instruments designed for their use, the dentists in 

120766°—19-5 



66 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


particular insisting upon having the latest cabinets and wall plates. 
The leaders in their profession have all been educated abroad, many 
of them in the United States, and the greatest assets a dentist can 
have are a diploma from an American dental school and an equip¬ 
ment of American tools. This condition makes it relatively easy to 
sell good appliances, and several companies are already doing very 
well with X-ray machines, wall cabinets, and similar material. 
There is competition only with cheap German models, which few will 
have at any price. For handling these goods it is necessary to have 
a first-class local representative carrying them who is actively in 
touch with the trade in the various centers. 

MISCELLANEOUS NOVELTIES. 

Such devices as hair dyers, violet-ray tubes, and vibrators have 
been introduced and have taken remarkably well. Anything that 
affects the toilet or the person is likely to have a ready sale in 
Buenos Aires and to a smaller extent in the interior. Most of these 
things are strictly American, and there is relatively little competition 
from European factories. They can be handled best by specialty 
jobbers who distribute them through local electrical and hardware 
dealers or other suitable houses. Extensive demonstration work 
would pay manyfold if followed up intelligently. All good barber 
shops now have one or more electrical devices, and the greatest ap¬ 
peal should be directed toward the home trade. It should be remem¬ 
bered that finish and artistic presentation mean a great deal and 
crude devices attract no attention whatever. The house circuits are 
nearly always of 220-volt direct current. 

PANEL AND SWITCHBOARDS. 

In first installations the switchboards are usually purchased from 
the company furnishing the generating equipment and the custom 
in the better plants is to match the original board when any exten¬ 
sions are made. Frequent departures from this rule are noted and a 
representative closely in touch with developments would find a 
fairly continuous demand for small boards. For the most part self- 
contained distribution panels without too elaborate an equipment of 
meters and switch gear are wanted. 

American boards are recognized as giving very good service and 
few or no changes are necessary for a large part of the business to be 
obtained. European boards are usually made of marble instead of 
slate, and the former material is therefore practically a necessity in 
all repeat orders. 

There is practically no sale among industrial establishments for 
control panels, as there are no regulations to require them and the 
general run of shopowners are content with any simple arrange¬ 
ment of starters and fuses. 

Apartment houses and hotels use wall cabinets or panels to a 
small extent, the customary form of control being a group of sepa¬ 
rate snap switches and fuses mounted locally on a wooden base. The 
future undoubtedly will see the development of a good deal of busi¬ 
ness in these smaller lines. 


ARGENTINA. 


67 


PROJECTORS. 

Only the light French motion-picture machines have had any per¬ 
manent success. Both the Pathe and the Gaumont are popular be¬ 
cause they are relatively cheap and especially because the reels can 
be exchanged very quickly with them. Very few houses have more 
than one projector, and the people demand a practically continuous 
performance, so that advantage is important. Heavy American ma¬ 
chines, both hand and power driven, are carried in stock by the film 
exchanges, but have had very little sale. Just before the war a Ger¬ 
man manufacturer had launched a model copied closely after the 
French and w T as gaining an entrance into the market by his lower 
prices and longer terms of credit. With all European makers prac¬ 
tically out of the market for so long a time, there is bound to be an 
increase in the sales as soon as they return. Detailed information 
regarding the construction necessary for a satisfactory modified 
American design could be obtained only through close study by some 
one familiar with these machines. 

Searchlights and out-of-doors flood lights are in very small de¬ 
mand. The former are used only in the Army and Navy and are 
sold through special correspondence between the manufacturer or 
his agent and the Government. Flood lights have never been adopted 
for permanent use, and usually whenever anything of this sort is 
required, automobile headlights or homemade lights are used. There 
seems to be little chance of building up any sort of business in these 
lines at present. 

PUSH BUTTONS. 

Very cheap wooden and porcelain push buttons have been the only 
ones enjoying any extensive sale, although a few of very ornate de¬ 
signs are always in demand for better-class residences. Of these 
probably the most popular are the familiar ones imitating a 
lion’s head or a flower, where the button takes the place of the tongue 
or the stamen. Other original designs would find a small market. 
Single or group buttons for office calls are popular, varied designs 
being required to suit different tastes, the simple bases both with and 
without cord holder being best liked. 

Dining-room buttons for floor or table are unknown, as this field 
is occupied almost exclusively by pendant switches. These are usually 
the so-called pear switch or button, with wooden casing. A few are 
made of porcelain and come in a large assortment of fancy shapes 
such as a small statue, a flower, or a pair of cherries. The wooden 
pendant buttons are being made locally as the shapes are not very 
hard to copy and the European goods have not appeared on the 
market since the European supply has been shut off. 

RAILWAY SIGNALING. 

Signaling apparatus for railroads has not been used to any extent 
on either steam or electric roads. The only automatic or inter¬ 
connecting signals are found in the Buenos Aires terminal of the 
Central Argentine Railway. On the entire line of this and the other 
roads there are only approaching signals and signals at the several 
stations, all of these being simple hand-operated semaphores. 


68 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


The system in the Buenos Aires terminal at the new Retiro Station 
is the product of the British Pneumatic Signal Co. and operates only 
over the yard and a short section of the many outgoing tracks. 

Twenty-eight kilometers (17.4 miles) of the Central Argentine 
Railway, from Buenos Aires to Tigre, has been electrified. This is the 
only electric line in operation, aside from the local trolley service, 
although a second line is practically complete and two other roads 
are awaiting a more propitious time for beginning work on electrifica¬ 
tion of sections of their lines. The line now in operation has made 
practically no modification of the signals used by the steam road 
and there is little likelihood that the others will do so. All are 
owned by English capital and hence lean strongly toward English 
practice in this regard, so that it would be difficult to secure the adop¬ 
tion of American methods except by continual personal effort on the 
part of the manufacturer. Apparently, there is little real need for 
many refinements, for while there are a few express trains the traffic 
is not very heavy and is handled mostly by locals stopping at every 
station, so that dispatching by telegraph and telephone is considered 
to offer ample protection for the present. 

In the subway of the Anglo-Argentine Tramway Co. in Buenos 
Aires, which has a present extension of 9 kilometers (5.6 miles), 
part of the signals are hand-operated and are made by Siemens- 
Schuckert Co., and part are automatic, of the McKenzie Holland- 
Westinghouse type. It is possible that the automatic may replace 
the hand-operated signals in the present tunnel, and they will no 
doubt be the only ones used in the future construction which the 
company is planning. During the rush hours the trains are run 
with a headway of as little as two minutes, and the automatic signals 
operate in home and distant blocks with provision for showing dan¬ 
ger in both in case of any disarrangement of the system. Only in 
the terminal where the subway car goes out on the surface is there 
any complication, and here an operator in the switch tower controls 
all movements by means of a board showing in miniature all the 
tracks and the positions of cars thereon. Until new subways are 
built there will hardly be opportunity for the sale of new material 
of this nature. 

THEATRICAL APPARATUS. 

Theaters are generally very poorly equipped with electrical de¬ 
vices, either for the orchestra or for the stage. Nearly all have 
rather old-fashioned material, but many seem entirely content with 
it for two reasons—first, because the kind of play most frequently 
presented on the Spanish stage does not call for any fine lighting 
effects, and second, because all traveling companies carry with them 
any special apparatus which they require. Nevertheless, if this field 
should be canvassed by aggressive agents they could do much more 
than would seem probable at first glance. No one has given it any 
attention heretofore, as it is so limited at best that the average dealer 
does not see many possibilities in it. There is little chance of doing 
anything in this line through correspondence. 

TOOLS. 

A few machine shops throughout the country have individually 
motor-driven tools, but it is a far commoner practice to use a single 


ARGENTINA. 


69 


large motor or gas engine for the whole shop. The new tools now 
being installed frequently come with their own motor, and this is 
exerting a good influence on the owners of other establishments. 
They will want an equally good equipment as soon as they can 
afford it. 

Portable tools have been introduced and adopted on a small scale. 
There should be a much larger sale than there is among the numerous 
garages, carpenter shops, and repair shops, but such a radical de¬ 
parture from the old established way of doing things needs a com¬ 
petent representative to show the advantages of the new way and 
demonstrate to a conservative proprietor why he should make a 
change. 

TOYS. 

A few stores carry a small stock of electric toys, but the demand 
is practically nothing, being confined almost exclusively to the 
families of foreign residents. It is greater now than ever before 
and may increase considerably in time as mechanical toys of all sorts 
are finding favor and the youthful taste seems to be turning grad¬ 
ually toward them through the influence of liberal education and 
contact with other nationalities. So many toys now come from the 
United States that our toys operated by dry cells may come quickly 
to the front. Nearly all home circuits are direct-current, 220 volts, 
so the usual toy transformer has no place, but it might be practicable 
to construct a voltage reducer for direct current which would take 
its place. This would aid in developing this field, as dry cells of 
relatively poor lasting quality cost at retail about 65 cents each. 

TRANSFORMERS. 

Argentina is not an alternating-current country, since nearly all 
stations distribute only direct current. The total capacity of all sta¬ 
tions is approximately 250,000 kilowatts, of which probably not over 
50,000 is distributed to the customer as alternating current. Stations 
in several cities in the interior have alternating-current generators. 

Although all current generated is alternating, much of it is con¬ 
verted to direct current for use in street railways and for power and 
lighting circuits. The current is distributed almost entirely from 
large transformers, serving considerable territory, rather than indi¬ 
vidual transformers. 

The largest users are the German and Italian central stations in 
Buenos Aires, and the companies operating both of these have a 
definite policy regarding factories from which they will purchase, so 
that American transformers have little opportunity. 

TRANSMISSION LINES. 

As there are very few hydroelectric plants the central stations are 
usually located in the towns, thus obviating the necessity for any 
but low-tension circuits. The three towns of importance with 
hydroelectric power are Cordoba, Mendoza, and Tucuman. The 
last-named has a line operating at 44,000 volts with a capacity of 
3,750-kilovolt amperes. In Mendoza there is projected a line 35 
kilometers (21.7 miles) long, of 40,000 volts, with branches to nearby 


70 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


towns, but construction is held up temporarily by difficulties inci¬ 
dental to the war. In some of the smaller towns there are lines of 
varying lengths and voltages but the most important of all are the 
ones at Cordoba. Two separate companies furnish current to 
Cordoba and both have water-power plants. The Compama de Luz 
y Fuerza Motriz has a station some 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) from 
the city and brings the current in at 10,000 volts pressure over a 
wooden-pole line equipped with a bell-type “ Locke ” insulator. 
There are duplicate circuits each consisting of six cables of seven 
strands of aluminum wire, the cross section of the cable being 56 
square millimeters (about ^ square inch). The capacity of the 
station is 8,000 kilowatts and it is the only 60-cycle plant of any 
importance in Argentina. 

The Compama General de Electricidad de Cordoba has a hydrau¬ 
lic station from which the current is transmitted 40 kilometers (24.8 
miles) at a tension of 25,000 volts. The pole line is made of “ Man- 
nesmann” steet tubes and supports a single three-phase circuit of 
bare copper wire mounted on bell-type, porcelain insulators. 

There has been some speculation regarding the possibility of bring¬ 
ing current from the Iguazu Falls on the boundary of Argentina 
and Brazil. According to all estimates there are enormous quan¬ 
tities of power available, one report stating the total to be 10,000,000 
horsepower, but there is little probability that any plan for utilizing 
it will be taken up seriously in the near future. If it should be 
carried out it would call for a great deal of transmission line ma¬ 
terial. 

As there are no other falls of importance which can be developed 
the sale of high-tension line material naturally has very little future. 
It w 7 ill be confined to extensions to existing plants until such time 
as increased growth in population may warrant lines from the large 
cities to neighboring towns. At present all the 13,000-volt lines in 
Buenos Aires are underground, conforming to local ordinances. 
Modifications of these ordinances have been made recently permitting 
more overhead wiring than ever before, and it may be that similar 
permission will extend to the high-voltage circuits later on. 

WIRE AND CABLE. 

Of all the imports of electrical material, wire and cable have 
accounted for one-third to one-half of the value in each of the last 
eight years, the maximum importation occurring in 1913 with a total 
of $4,772,530, of which $2,000,000 came from Germany, about the 
same amount from England, and only $115,000 from the United 
States. One of the leading factors in determining the source of im¬ 
ports was the presence of large amounts of German and English capi¬ 
tal in a position to influence purchases, as the central station and the 
railroads which are electrifying sections of their lines accounted for 
much of the heavy cables, and the regular demand for small stuff 
was supplied by German and Italian wires of a grade inferior to 
the old code. Since 1914 the wire and cable coming from the United 
States has increased tremendously, but we can not hold this ad¬ 
vantage permanently. A few factories have consented to make the 
cheaper grade of wire and cord and may always do some business 


ARGENTINA. 


71 


in that class of goods. But between two cheap articles there is no 
room for a discussion of anything but price, consequently all de¬ 
pends on whether we can sell a cent or two per meter cheaper than 
our competitors. In supplying the demand for a good grade of 
insulated wire our New Code will always find a field. If American 
wire and cable manufacturers desire to make advances in this field 
it will be necessary for them to supply a good grade of articles and 
be sure that their customers are entirely satisfied. 

There will also be competition from local factories, as there are 
already some four or five small establishments turning out annun¬ 
ciator and other cotton-covered wire enough to supply the market. 
Plans are already completed by Pirelli & Co., a large Italian firm, 
for the erection of a good-sized plant to make all the kinds ordi¬ 
narily used, which means that they are convinced that it will be more 
advantageous to do this than to continue importing as at present. 
Presumably at first they will have to bring in all their materials 
and do little more than assemble, but it is expected that if all turns 
out well they will be able later to work with locally purchased raw 
material. This firm is interested in the Itato-Argentina central 
station in Buenos Aires, and will normally get all its business in the 
same manner that the German factories are favored with all the 
business of the Cia. Alemana Transatlantica. 

The larger tramway company in Buenos Aires, several of the com¬ 
panies in other cities, and the railroads are largely owned by English 
capital, and while they may purchase in the open market, much 
preference is given to home manufacturers. The Union Telephone 
Co., the only really important one, purchases almost entirely from 
an American company or its English branch. The telegraph lines 
are in the hands of the Government, and are equipped almost en¬ 
tirely with galvanized-iron wire. Other kinds, however, are included 
in the specifications issued from time to time, which can be bid upon 
only by firms having local branches or representatives. After the 
demand from these few large users comes the big demand for wire 
and cable for house wiring, which probably covers over half the 
wire imported. This should preferably be in metric sizes, but if 
it is not, then it should be marked with both the metric and the 
B. & S. gauge number. 

PROPOSED WIRING REQUIREMENTS. 

There are no rules in force governing the insulation which may be 
used, hence a very low grade has been commonly employed on ac¬ 
count of competition in prices. Such wire is now being made by 
several factories, some of them in the United States. A small market 
will always exist for the best grade, however, and many people will 
insist upon it despite the greater cost. A few contractors are also 
urging its use upon the architects and their clients in an endeavor to 
elevate the standards of wiring. Material assistance may be given 
to this movement if the Committee on Rules and Regulations of the 
Asociacion Electrotecnicos succeeds in securing the adoption by 
the Federal or even only the municipal authorities of the new re¬ 
quirements which they are now drawing up. The municipal authori¬ 
ties of Buenos Aires have recently adopted a new set of regulations, 
and that part which refers to conductors reads as follows: 


72 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


These shall be insulated, and the insulation ought to reach at least q 500 
megohms per kilometer after immersion in water at a temperature of 15° C. 
for 24 hours. 

The intensity of the current shall be such as will not elevate the temperature 
of the conductors above 40° C. 

For conductors of copper of high conductivity (with a specific resistance of 
1& ohms per meter and per square millimeter of section) the intensity admis¬ 
sible shall be 4 amperes per square millimeter for intensities less than 25 
amperes; exceeding this limit those indicated in the following table shall be 
observed; 


Section of 
copper. 

Current 

kilometers. 

Section of 
copper. 

Current 

kilometers. 

Sq. mm. 

10 

16 

25 

35 

50 

70 

Amperes. 

35 

60 

80 

100 

125 

160 

Sq. mm. 

95 

120 

150 

185 

240 

310 

Amperes. 

190 

225 

260 

300 

360 

430 


Conductors of copper having a cross section less than 0.75 square millimeter 
or with a diameter of, say, 1 millimeter should not be used. 

ELECTRIC WIRE IN USE. 

Considerable quantities of twisted cord are used, but of a type 
which is rather more flexible than our standard. This is preferred, 
as in a great many cases it is used for the suspension of a single drop 
lamp with counterweight, which does not operate smoothly on a cord 
with few strands. The wire should be tinned and, next to it, there 
should be a covering of vulcanized rubber; it hardly matters how 
thin this is. The insulation is noticeably poor, but the price is low 
and everyone is satisfied. The competition is with German and 
Italian and, lately, with Japanese factories, the last named sending 
extra flexible cord, but only with good insulation up to the present. 
One of the shipments noticed was from the Yokohama Electric Wire 
Works, and consisted of white cord having 15 strands of No. 30 B. & 
S. wire. It was packed neatly in rolls of 145 meters (158 yards), 
having a very presentable appearance, both in the roll and in the 
piece. 

Standard round and grooved trolley wires are used, and sales should 
be very good once prices come back nearly to normal, as all com¬ 
panies have been using old wire for repairs, and before long will 
need considerable quantities for this purpose as well as for exten¬ 
sions. In many sections of Buenos Aires the service is hard on the 
wire and different grades have been tried with varying success, the 
ordinary hard-drawn copper apparently meeting general conditions 
quite well enough. The electrified sections of the steam roads are all 
equipped with third rail. 

Insulated aerial feeders have not proved satisfactory, as the atmos¬ 
phere contains such a large percentage of saline moisture that the 
covering soon deterioriates and drops off. A law is now being pro¬ 
jected, therefore, which will permit the original installation to be 
made with bare wire, thus effecting a material saving in first cost. 
This will be applicable in the smaller cities and the suburbs of 
Buenos Aires. In the central part of Buenos Aires all feeders and 
distribution circuits must be underground, and thus there is a con- 









ARGENTINA. 


73 


tinuous demand for armored cables, which can be laid in the ground 
without ditches or conduits. All connections are made in under¬ 
ground chambers at street intersections and distribution wires run to 
each building from there. Whether cables laid in this manner will 
endure indefinitely remains to be seen, but if they ever give out and 
have to be replaced a total of several thousand kilometers of all 
types wfill be required, even if very little more is laid in the future. 

WIRE FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES. 

There are a number of medium and high tension transmission 
lines in the country, but there is relatively little tendency toward an 
increase because, as noted before, there are no new large water¬ 
power sites to be developed, and consequently the power plants are 
located as near as possible to the center of distribution. Two of the 
present lines are using aluminum wire, all the rest having regulation 
copper. 

There is a small demand for a good grade of high-tension and 
armored automobile cable for ignition circuits, owing to the increas¬ 
ing number of automobiles being used daily. Only the recent Ameri¬ 
can cars have electric lighting systems, but many owners are fitting 
them to older models for interior lighting or to replace the kerosene 
side lights, headlights being very little used, since, for lack of coun¬ 
try highAvays, practically all night riding is confined to the cities. 

Armature or magnet wire is used by all the lighting and tramway 
companies for making repairs. Recently, too, there has sprung up a 
demand for the smallest sizes for meter coils, as two local companies 
are devoting their energies to turning out an ampere-hour, direct- 
current meter and an induction, alternating-current meter. Aside 
from the needs of the tramway companies, however, the demand is 
very limited. 

Makers of annunciator and other cotton-covered wires are buying 
the bare copper and the cotton from the United States and putting 
them together on machinery bought from Europe or constructed 
locally, although at least one of these firms is in position to draw the 
wire to any desired size in its own shops. 

WIRING DEVICES. 

No adequate rules for wiring exist. Each central station and mu¬ 
nicipality usually has some regulations but nothing comprehensive 
or of any particular value. This condition has permitted the use 
of numbers of cheaply constructed devices which would never be 
sanctioned in the United States. It is probable that they will be 
modified materially when new rules which are being drafted by the 
Asociacion Argentina de Electrotecnicos are completed and adopted. 

The most common practice in house wiring is to run wires or flex¬ 
ible cord on small porcelain knobs or through thin insulated conduit 
of the Bergmann type. In all old houses this is the only feasible 
manner on account of their construction, which is of brick or cement 
throughout. In new constructions a loAv-grade iron conduit is used 
and embedded within the walls. This often rusts away, but it leaves 
a smooth runway which protects the wires. For this class of work 


74 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


our conduit would be admirably suited except that it is altogether 
too heavy and expensive. ^ 

The push-button switch is little used, although it is gaining in 
popularity now. The snap switch is used in nearly all cases, whether 
with open or concealed wiring. The tumbler switch is rarely seen. 
Practically the entire market to-day is supplied from the United 
States, one well-known make having been adopted as standard by 
the Government department of telegraphs. Before the war a large 
German factory had copied the exact design of this switch and put 
it on the market at considerably lower prices, with the natural re¬ 
sult that it was seriously competing with the original. To meet this 
situation a very cheap switch modeled after a standard German de¬ 
sign was made and launched on the market, the name “ Cap ” being 
used as a descriptive trade-mark. But it was not long alone in the 
held. The same Germany factory soon brought out an exact copy 
of the “ Cap ” switch and container, the prices quoted being lower 
than for the genuine. Only a few were sold owing to the outbreak of 
the war, but the design is listed and illustrated in the firm’s catalogue 
for 1914-15, showing clearly that the intention was to introduce it as 
widely as possible. 

This company listed all sizes of the imitation standard switch, 
using to supplement its own catalogue numbers those used by the 
original manufacturer in his own literature, so that a customer could 
order from Germany with the same nomenclature as from the United 
States. 

[Several samples, invoices, and descriptive catalogues relating to 
the various articles mentioned in the foregoing report may be in¬ 
spected at the New York office of the Bureau of Foreign and Domes¬ 
tic Commerce, Room 734, Customhouse.] 


URUGUAY. 

FEATURES OF THE MARKET. 


Uruguay, one of the most progressive of all South American 
Republics, has an area of 72,000 square miles, and of its 1,148 miles 
of boundary line 668 lie on rivers and oceans. The country is gently 
rolling and in some places hilly, the greatest elevation not exceeding 
2,000 feet. It is admirably adapted to cattle and sheep raising, and 
nowhere is there any large section which can not be tilled or used 
for grazing. The cattle industry has had a big impulse owing to the 
establishment of meat-packing plants in Montevideo and other 
localities, and it is the source of a large part of the country’s wealth. 
Nearly 90 per cent of the exports of the country are made up of 
meat, hides, and the various by-products of the packing house and 
canning plant. There are at present 2 freezing plants, 1 extract 
factory, 3 canning factories, and 13 establishments for making jerked 
or salted beef. 

The agricultural development of the country is not being neg¬ 
lected, and about 5 per cent of its area is under cultivation to the 
principal cereals. The Government takes a great interest in all 
things pertaining to the advancement of agriculture and cattle rais¬ 
ing, and has established experiment stations and schools for the 
education of those engaged in these and derived industries. 

There is an abundance of mineral wealth scattered over the entire 
country, and many mines have been exploited, though on a relatively 
small scale. Both iron and copper are found in various sections and 
large deposits are indicated. Coal has been produced but it is poor 
in quality and so far has not been found in commercial quantities. 

CLIMATE AND POPULATION. 

The climate of Uruguay is one of the most equable to be found 
anywhere, and this has much to do with the progress being made in 
the essential industries. It is also partly responsible for the high 
rate of immigration. The mean annual temperature of Montevideo 
is given as 62° F., with a minimum of 45° and a maximum of 79°. 

Statistics for 1913 give the population of Uruguay as 1,280,000, 
but it is estimated to be nearer 1,350,000 now. Approximately one- 
fifth of the people are foreigners, Italians and Spaniards being in 
the majority. 

In any consideration of the Republic as a market Montevideo must 
be regarded as the key to the country, as it is the center of importa¬ 
tion and distribution for the interior. In fact it would be impossible 
to do direct business with any other town for lack of facilities such 
as banks, customhouses, and agents. The large houses are located in 
the capital and have their own representatives appointed by travelers 
attached to their staffs, who visit, with more or less regularity, all 
towns of any importance. 


75 


76 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


A majority of the inhabitants of Uruguay live in the country, but 
on account of the high average per capita income they are enabled 
to enjoy many city comforts on their ranches and country estates. 
There is no class of nonpurchasers, and consequently the market for 
various imported commodities is better than in many countries with 
a much larger population. 

PROGRESSIVE TENDENCIES. 

The general tendencies of the people are progressive, and they are 
usually quick to take up new ideas. In this they are encouraged by 
the Government, which is fostering the general welfare of the com¬ 
munity in many ways, notably by obtaining competent directors and 
personnel for its various bureaus of investigation and research. Its 
international policy is well defined, and it is very liberal toward 
foreigners who wish to invest capital or take a personal part in the 
affairs of the country. Every year the number of free rural schools 
is increasing, and so are the facilities for teaching adults. There is 
a university for higher education and a national school of arts and 
trades, whose aim is to prepare persons for promoting the general 
progress of industries by becoming fit and capable workmen. 

electricians’ school. 

In order to train more of their employees the Government Depart¬ 
ment of the Central Stations maintains an electricians’ school (Es- 
cuela de Electricitas), in which it gives theoretical and practical 
courses in mathematics, mechanics, electricity, and shop practice. 

The subjects covered are presented in such manner that they can 
be understood by its linemen, station attendants, and salesmen. The 
school is open to any of the employees. The training thus given is 
already showing effects in the greater efficiency of the operating 
staff, and the Government thus has a nucleus about which it is build¬ 
ing up the organization necessary to make a success of the Govern¬ 
ment ownership of the electric-lighting plants throughout the coun¬ 
try. It is obvious that this training is going to be beneficial to the 
electrical industry as a whole, since in time there will be a better 
general understanding and appreciation of electrical installations on 
the part of independent contractors, as well as among the employees 
of the Government. 

An interesting example of the progressive national spirit is found 
in the fact that the first system of public lighting by electricity in 
South America was installed in Montevideo as early as 1889. 

BEST SELLING METHOD FOR URUGUAY. 

Uruguay does not differ materially from Argentina in the way in 
which business can and should be handled. What has been said about 
credits and terms of payment in Argentina applies to the smaller 
country as well. One American bank has its own branch in Monte¬ 
video and others have responsible correspondents to facilitate collec¬ 
tions and the furnishing of credit information. 

Montevideo is the chief port of entry and the only city which needs 
to be considered by the exporter. The usual manner of handling 


URUGUAY. 


77 


business in Uruguay is to secure the services of an active representa¬ 
tive in the capital and leave it to him to canvass the small towns of the 
interior. This representative is sometimes appointed a direct agent, 
but more frequently he acts as a subagent, responsible to some com¬ 
pany or person in Buenos Aires having the three River Plate coun¬ 
tries, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, as exclusive territory. On 
account of the greater importance of the Argentine market, it is often 
easier to obtain a competent representative there than in Montevideo, 
although in the latter city there are several dealers in general lines 
of machinery and also some exclusively electrical dealers who would 
give satisfactory service. 

One advantage in dealing with a factory branch or representative 
in Buenos Aires is that often in cases of emergency local stocks can 
be drawn on for quick delivery. The most suitable form of represen¬ 
tation must be decided by each company for itself, but it would be 
a mistake to give the agency for Uruguay to a firm in Buenos Aires 
if the firm does not spend a fair share of its time in developing Uru¬ 
guayan business. It is also to be noted that local representation in 
Montevideo makes a good impression on customers, as the people 
sometimes resent being considered as commercially tributary to 
Buenos Aires. 

LANGUAGE-WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 

The language of the country, in which all correspondence should be 
conducted, is Spanish. The metric system of weights and measures 
was adopted legally in 1862 and its use has been obligatory since 
1894. No other should be used on any documents or packages, and 
it is advisable to use it also in correspondence and catalogues. The 
port facilities are exceptionally good, but material should be care¬ 
fully boxed, as usual for foreign shipment. The attention given to 
this point by American manufacturers in the last few years is produc¬ 
ing results which are very satisfactory and complaints of bad packing 
are fast disappearing. 

TRANSPORTATION. 

There are in actual operation over 2,600 kilometers (1,615 miles) 
of railway, with approximately 800 kilometers (496 miles) more in 
course of construction. This gives Uruguay a greater mileage in pro¬ 
portion to its area than any other country in South America, and 
affords ample communication for the present. Projected lines would 
easily double the existing mileage, connecting Montevideo with all 
towns of any importance whatever. It is already possible to go from 
Montevideo' to Buenos Aires and Asuncion by rail, making connec¬ 
tions at the terminals at the river and crossing it in a ferryboat. 
Direct trains are run once or twice a week from Montevideo to Sao 
Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, connecting also with other cities of 
southern Brazil. 

In normal times about 50 lines of passenger and freight steamers 
touch at Montevideo on their way to and from all parts of the world. 
Local lines connect the city with ports of near-by countries. 

CHIEF INDUSTRIES. 

Agriculture and cattle raising, the two most important sources of 
national wealth, do not of themselves require much power, but their 


78 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


numerous derived industries do. The most important of these are 
the meat-packing plants, dairies, flour mills, and wine-bottling estab¬ 
lishments, all of which are users of machinery and are among the 
larger buyers of electrical equipment. The packing plants are in the 
hands of an American concern, which purchases practically all its 
material through its head office, in accordance with specifications 
drawn up for its American plants. 

Mining is carried on in a desultory way, but the Government de¬ 
partment of mines is making thorough studies of the probable re¬ 
sources which can be worked commercially; and if it is found that 
these can be exploited on a considerable scale, a new market for 
machinery will be opened up. The demand is now practically non¬ 
existent. 

Manufacturing has long been carried on on a small scale, and 
many establishments have sprung up in the last four years. Their 
products cover a wide range, including such articles as pottery and 
ceramics, clothing, cement and bricks, cook stoves, furniture, paper 
goods, shoes, carriages and wagons, and musical instruments. Both 
men and women are employed, and wages range from $1.20 per day 
for employees of lower grade to $4 for those who are very skilled. 
The supply of good labor is increasing and keeping pace with the 
demand, this being due to the training received in the schools and 
shops. 

An organization composed of the more important manufacturers 
and known as the “Union Industrial Uruguaya” was founded in 
1898 to “unite and foster the work of artisan and manufacturer.” 
Since then it has broadened the scope of its activities and now exerts 
much influence toward securing higher rates of duty on imported 
manufactures, etc. A plan which it is fostering is the establishment 
of a free manufacturing port or zone where foreign or native capital 
may be invested in industries which would be freed from local taxes 
and from import duties on all materials entering into exported 
products. 

ADVERTISING. 

It is necessary to advertise through the local dealers. They will 
make good use of counter and window displays and should be sup¬ 
plied with these and a variety of envelope stuffers, pamphlets, and 
other free literature in Spanish. Small stickers, calendars, and 
paper and envelopes are all used to good effect. Local newspapers 
and perhaps a magazine or two should carry a general advertisement 
of the products, supplementing any space the dealer himself may use. 
This need not be very expensive, as a new product becomes known 
quite easily, but the advertising should be continuous. 

As an alternative to this, an exclusive agent should be appointed 
and given an allowance for pushing the goods. The success of at 
least one electrical device of American manufacture can be attributed 
in large measure to the persistent advertising carried on by the agent 
and dealers. It seems only fair that the manufacturer should pay 
for a part of the publicity and good will created for his trade-marked 


URUGUAY, 


79 


IMPORTS OF ELECTRICAL GOODS. 

The following table shows the value of imports of electrical goods 
into Uruguay, by articles and principal countries, as given in the 
detailed statistics of the country, for 1915 and 1916: 


Articles and countries. 


1915 


Insulators of porcelain or glass. 

United States. 

Germany. 

Netherlands. 

Spain. 


5801 

333 

159 

114 

91 


Insulated electric wire 
United States.... 

Argentina. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

United Kingdom. 


9,318 

5,816 

378 

1,208 

808 

524 


Lighting fixtures and apparatus.. 

United States. 

Argentina. 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Netherlands. 

United Kingdom. 

Cables. 

United States. 

Argentina. 

Italv. 

Netherlands. 

United Kingdom. 

Cases and fuse rosettes and 

accessories. 

United States. 

Belgium. 

Germany. 

Netherlands. 

United Kingdom. 


4,594 

545 

277 

638 

1,924 

161 

105 

712 

8,102 

3,899 

695 

1,066 

501 

1,521 


2,889 

1,961 

473 

72 

250 

42 


Electric bells. 

United States 
France....... 

Netherlands.. 


110 

63 


47 


Conduit tubes. 

United States — 

Argentina. 

Belgium. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Netherlands. 

United Kingdom 


2,655 

195 


111 

379 


111 

1,859 


Electrodes for arc lamps.. 

United States.I 

Argentina. 

Germany. 

Netherlands. 


11,389 

371 

289 

9,937 

635 


Insulating tape... 
United States 
Argentina 

Germany. 

Italy. 


1,525 

1,035 

21 

131 

326 


Electric meters. 

United States — 

Argentina. 

Italy. 

Netherlands. 

United Kingdom 


11,380 

25 

21 

4,789 

5,651 

74 


Flexible cord. 

United States 
Argentina 

Italy. 

Netherlands.. 


3,023 

2,096 

235 

430 

117 


1916 


$1,155 

237 

338 

405 

114 

8,761 

4,307 

848 


3,081 

195 

6,339 

2,392 

771 

1,927 

304 


944 

7,089 

4,214 

1,651 

465 


618 


946 

645 


208 

58 


741 

634 

78 


673 


234 


438 


346 

172 

173 


1,358 

992 

197 

132 


3,311 


225 

918 


2,167 

8,021 

6,360 

959 

624 


Articles and countries. 

1915 

1916 

Circuit breakers. 

$736 

$304 

United States. 

240 

276 

Germany. 

420 


Netherlands. 

77 


Telephone switchboards. 

54 

217 

Germany. 

31 


United Kingdom. 

23 

136 

Dynamos. 

1,631 

917 

United States. 

28 

235 

Argentina. 

949 

648 

France. 

33 


United Kingdom. 

620 

15 

Electric motors. 

13,193 

11,040 

United States. 

4,271 

Argentina. 


• 1,399 
1,541 

Brazil. 


Germany. 

50 

Italy.. 

13,143 

3,828 

Interrupters. 

2,869 

2,968 

United States. 

2,194 

2.260 

Argentina. 


380 

Belgium. 

103 

Germany. 

308 

141 

Italv. 

39 

186 

Netherlands. 

189 


Lamps, incandescent: 


Carbon filament... 

34,135 

47,936 

United States. 

5,384 

34,801 

Argentina. 

8,202 

9,147 

Italy. 

3,981 

1,331 

Germany. 

3,356 

74 

Netherlands. 

11,204 


Sweden. 

" 186 


United Kingdom. 

930 

2,160 

Metallic filament. 

11,561 

14,414 

United States. 

1,184 

4,999 

Argentina. 

2,156 

3,547 

Germany. 

657 

Netherlands. 

2,799 

2,153 

Spain. 


2,046 

Sweden. 

i, 448 
1,618 

United Kingdom. 

950 

Eectric cells. 

3,881 

4,826 

United States. 

3,409 

3,488 

Argentina. 

69 

824 

Netherlands. 

266 

66 

United Kingdom. 

75 

156 

Lamp sockets. 

673 

1,200 

United States. 

253 

794 

Argentina. 


322 

Belgium. 

51 

Germany. 

188 


Netherlands. 

151 


Resistances and transformers.. 

153 


France. 

10 


Italy. 

143 


Telephones, complete. 

2,001 

3,487 

tlnited States. 

418 

1,470 

Argentina. 

391 

833 

Germany. 

250 

36 

Netherlands . 

507 


Norway. 

397 


United" Kingdom. 

37 

1,146 














































































































































































80 


ELECTRICAL, GOODS. 


Articles and countries. 

1915 

1916 

Articles and countries. 

1915 

1916 

Wall sockets. 

$292 

44 

44 

134 

58 

$317 

178 

139 

Transformers for electric cur¬ 
rent . 

$526 

145 

13 

331 

36 

14,518 

$279 

279 

United States. 

Argentina. 

United States. 

Germany . 

France. 

Netherlands. 


Spain. 




Unit,p,d Kingdom 


All other articles. 

7,780 

Total. 

142,009 

134,425 



With regard to these figures, it should be noted that Uruguayan 
statistics of electrical goods imports are divided into two sections, 
nne of which gives figures for goods which are readily classifiable 
under the headings of the tariff, and the other figures for goods con¬ 
cerning whose classification there is question. The above table shows 
only the first section. The table following gives figures for the sec¬ 
ond section for 1915, but detailed figures for 1916 (total imports 
$214,101) are not available: 


Articles and countries. 

Value. 

Articles and countries. 

Value. 

Wire. 

$16,001 

134 

Carbons for arc lights—Continued. 


Argentina,. 

United Kingdom. 

$166 

Germany.. 

15,852 



Dynamos. 

6,204 

6,204 

Cable. 

47,550 

10,430 

United Kingdom. 

United States. 


Argentina. 

5,878 

16,303 

14,939 

Electric lamps. 

7,148 
5,687 
275 
379 

Italy. 

United States. 

United Kingdom. 

Germany. 


Netherlands. 

Carbons for arc lights. 

18,811 

166 


Argentina. 

All other articles. 

7,466 

Germany 

11,129 


Netherlands. 

7,350 

Total. 

103,180 




CENTRAL STATIONS. 

The Government of Uruguay has decreed that all public utilities 
shall be considered State monopolies, and it proposes to take over 
their operation as rapidly as conditions permit. Considerable prog¬ 
ress has been made in this direction with the electric-lighting plants, 
five of them having passed under the control of the Administracion 
General de las Usinas Electrical del Estado (General Department 
of Government Central Stations). This department has its head¬ 
quarters in Montevideo and administers the affairs of the stations 
through a central organization of capable engineers with local repre¬ 
sentatives at each of four other cities. Its successful management is 
due entirely to the policy which it maintains of appointing, as mem¬ 
bers and officials, only competent and intelligent men, without regard 
to political belief. All purchasing is done by public bids. All 
plants will soon be under their control. 

In no other city of South America is there a more progressive de¬ 
velopment in the use of electrical devices than in Montevideo. The 
Government has equipped a large showroom with working models of 
practically every well-known device for the household, including 
several kinds of water heaters and ranges, and the usual styles of 





























































URUGUAY. 


81 


radiator heaters. All these are arranged for convenient operation 
under conditions approximating those of actual service, so that the 
prospective customer is able to see at a glance just how they will 
work in his home and in many cases how much it will cost to run 
them. The result of this, coupled with the unusually low rates for 
current for cooking and heating, will be a demand for all kinds of 
material on a scale proportionately greater than in most other cities. 
Sales are not made from stocks, except in the case of cooking stoves, 
water heaters, or other apparatus requiring special care in instal¬ 
lation and connection. Employees attend to the installation also 
in order to insure satisfaction both to consumer and central station. 
Possibly later on as contractors become more familiar with the de¬ 
vices, the activities of the show room will be confined solely to demon¬ 
stration and propaganda. 

MONTEVIDEO PLANT AND OTHERS. 

The plant in Montevideo is one of the oldest in South America, 
having been established in 1889 with 148 subscribers. Its growth 
was gradual until 1906, when there were 8,029 subscribers, but during 
the last 10 years the number increased much more rapidly, so that 
at the end or the 1916 there-were 29,203. This has necessitated a cor¬ 
responding expansion in the generating equipment to keep pace with 
the demand, and the department has recently purchased in the 
United States a turbogenerator of 10,000 kilowatts capacity, which 
will enable it to retire one or more of the older engine-driven sets 
from service, except for reserve. Even with the smaller units with 
which the department has been working up to the present, the cost 
per kilowatt hour for 1916 was less than 5 cents for lighting and 3J 
cents for power. These figures cover everything, including adminis¬ 
tration expenses, salaries, and ample amortization for machinery, 
buildings, and installations. 

The central stations throughout the country are small and do not 
differ materially from similar plants in other countries. As there 
are no waterfalls except at one of two places along the Paraguay 
River, which forms the western boundary of the country, the motive 
power is about equally divided between Diesel and steam engines, 
with a sprinkling of producer gas engines. The Diesel is the most 
popular and the one likely to be adopted officially if any standard¬ 
ization is arrived at for the country plants. A list of the several 
plants with their current characteristics is given on page 132. 

LIGHTING. 

Outside of Montevideo there is little to be said regarding the pe¬ 
culiar conditions of any one locality. All towns with electricity 
have adopted it for their public lighting systems while private homes 
and offices are fast turning to it and abandoning the gas or oil lamps 
which are so common at present. Incandescent lamps have sup¬ 
planted the arcs, or, in the newer installations, are the only ones 
that have ever been used. Little attempt has been made to secure 
artistic or unusual effects either in street, store, or private lighting 

120766°—19-6 



82 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


and it will be some time before there is a market for anything other 
than the simplest devices in standard lamps and fixtures. 

In Montevideo there are still approximately 2,000 arc lamps, relics 
of the early system of lighting. These will be replaced by incan¬ 
descent lamps some time in the future and thus a considerable 
market will be offered for suitable types. The exact system to be 
adopted has not been decided upon as yet, as the Administracion Gen¬ 
eral is not ready to assume the expense involved. It is a situation 
with which manufacturers will have to keep in touch through their 
local representatives. 

The lighting of private homes has not progressed far beyond the 
use of the simple droplight, but there is a decided tendency toward 
the introduction of high-grade fixtures and glassware by the pro¬ 
gressive dealers. They follow largely the practice of Buenos Aires 
and are guided by developments in that city, so that any manufac¬ 
turer wishing to cover well the market in Montevideo should first, 
or simultaneously, establish good connections in Buenos Aires. 

Stores of the better class have improved their lighting, both of 
their interiors and their windows, so there is remarkably little ad¬ 
vance to be made in this direction, except with the smaller stores 
that are hard to influence except by constant visits of local agents. 
The ultimate results to be expected are at least as great as those in 
any city of similar size, but are not so large that it would pay to- 
try to handle the market by itself. 

SIGNS, FIXTURES, ETO. 

With one or two exceptions, elaborate electric signs are unknown. 
Those commonly seen are locally made and consist of square boxes 
with glass sides or grooved tin letters with lamps fastened inside. 
High-power lamps attached to the outside of the show windows 
generally take the place of both signs and window lights. It is 
likely that a small business could be built up for imported signs 
constructed according to the specifications of a competent local agent, 
although the excessive freight and duty charges would greatly re¬ 
strict the number of firms which could afford them. A better mar¬ 
ket exists for signs composed of letters which can be knocked down 
for transportation and which can be used for making any sign de¬ 
sired. 

The semi-indirect lighting units have attracted favorable notice, 
and have been so successfully, copied that although there is a grow¬ 
ing demand it is likely to be filled entirely by cheaper products made 
locally or imported from Argentina. The glassware is also made 
locally, and seems to be entirely satisfactory, except for a very few 
installations. 

Fixtures of some sort are used in most private homes and these 
range from the elaborate crystal chandeliers, so popular in times 
gone by, to the more modern brass ones, with or without a consider¬ 
able amount of ornamentation. There is a small importation from 
the United States, but most brass fixtures are brought in from Argen¬ 
tina. This is true also of the semi-indirect units, which have been 
very favorably received. The production of the several shops in 
Buenos Aires is more than adequate for the demand both in Ar- 


URUGUAY. 


83 


gentina and Uruguay, and there is little likelihood that any advance 
can be made in the face of this local competition. There remains 
a demand for table lamps with unusual shades and bases, but it will 
be permanent only for such types as require special skill tovmake. 

This fixture trade is the only instance where the importation of 
electrical goods is seriously threatened at present, but the general 
tendency toward an increase in national manufacture is being fostered 
by Government and private institutions alike, and it may not be very 
long also before the competition of Argentina will be felt in the 
trade in heating devices, wire and cable, and other articles. The 
proximity of Buenos Aires gives a decided advantage to manufac¬ 
turers located there, in the matter of freights and time required for 
delivery, which is already being made the most of by those in posi¬ 
tion to cater to the Montevideo market. 

INCANDESCENT LAMPS. 

European lamps have held first place in the imports into Uruguay, 
but to-day the Phillips, which is made in Holland, is losing ground 
to a well-known American make, owing to the activity of the repre¬ 
sentative who is pushing them. The lack of small-size, gas-filled bulbs 
is felt very much, as they have been popularized by the agents of 
Phillips and are one of the strongest sellers in the line of lamps. 
American manufacturers have not seen fit to bring out such a lamp, 
and it is suggested that serious consideration be given to its produc¬ 
tion, in sizes less than 100 candlepower, for 220-volt circuits, before 
the European firms have made too great headway in introducing their 
products. The total number of incandescent lamps installed in Mon¬ 
tevideo and suburbs was 442,158 at the end of 1916. A measure of 
the market may be had from the statistics of the central station 
which show that during the last seven years the average number of 
new lamps connected annually was 47,500, the smallest number hav¬ 
ing been 28,169 in 1916, when no extensions were made and the in¬ 
crease was due solely' to the natural growth of the districts then 
receiving current. 

As rapidly as conditions permit public lighting is being changed 
from arc to incandescent lamps. The equipment as it now stands 
consists of 1,725 12-ampere arcs, most of which are in the center of 
the city. A total of 305 incandescent lamps of 600 to 1,000 candle- 
power each have been installed, 73 of 100 to 400 candlepower, and 
6,582 of 10 to 50 candlepower. 

HEATING AND COOKING. 

While there has been very little sale of heating devices, there is 
going to be a relatively large demand, owing to the low rates now in 
effect and the special propaganda of the Government. The climate 
is sufficiently cold during the winter months to make a small amount 
of heat in the house or office very desirable; and as there are no cen¬ 
tral heating plants or furnaces in common use, the electric radiator 
should prove very popular once it becomes known. A considerable 
number of heaters of a small focusing reflector type were put on 
display just previous to the cold season last year, and the dealers ex¬ 
pected them to be ready sellers, as they are adjustable and can be 


84 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


used also to boil water and make toast. They are made in Buenos 
Aires and are sold for less than similar imported goods. They are 
not particularly well finished, but this is of comparatively small im¬ 
portance as long as they serve their purpose well. 

In the shops of the central station a small number of larger heaters 
have been made after designs originated by the engineers, and these 
have the advantage that the raw material was obtained locally and 
the finished product did not pay the duties and freight. Whether the 
manufacture will continue to be profitable when conditions have be¬ 
come more nearly normal remains to be seen; but there is a feeling 
that if the heaters can get a start now they will be able to continue on 
the market. When considering the effect of this manufacture on 
importations it should be remembered that price is a great factor, 
and that, other things being equal, the purchasing public is attracted 
by the cheaper devices. 

RANGES-SMALL HEATING DEVICES. 

Montevideo will be one of the best South American markets for 
cooking ranges, due to the extensive cooperation of the central sta¬ 
tion. In its display room it has installed several kinds of ranges with 
which it gives frequent practical demonstrations before invited audi¬ 
ences of prospective customers. These ranges are equipped with an 
apparatus for showing the amount of current used and the cost of op¬ 
eration at the special rates quoted for this business. 

A large stock of ranges of each type and size is kept on hand for 
immediate delivery, and the central station makes a special practice 
of connecting them, in order to make sure that they are properly 
installed. 

The most popular ranges have four plates but no ovens, these best 
meeting the conditions of local householders. The heating element 
is much more liable to damage when exposed and some form of pro¬ 
tective covering should be provided, so that-the unskilled domestic 
help available will be prevented from coming in contact with live 
wires. The voltage is 220, and special care should be taken to pro¬ 
vide rugged heating elements. It is found that the breakage in 
operation on 220-volt ranges is higher than on those of 110 volts, 
consequently a more liberal free allowance of renewal parts should 
be allowed. 

In order to encourage the use of these ranges the central station in 
Montevideo charges 4 centesimos (4.14 cents) per kilowatt hour for 
the first 2,000 consumed and 2 centesimos for each kilowatt hour 
above that quantity. 

Small heating devices, such as irons, toasters, and immersion water 
heaters, are having a fairly widespread sale and a steady demand 
for them is being created. Water heaters of sufficient capacity for 
general household use are being shown by the central stations, and 
a considerable number have already been sold to the public. The 
instantaneous type is the most popular, since practically none of the 
houses are equipped with a hot-water storage tank. * The central 
station, however, has made arrangements for the installation of tanks 
locally in case the customer prefers connection with a water heater 
of the continuous-operation type. 


URUGUAY. 


85 


The price charged for current for lighting purposes is the same 
that the customer would pay for heating devices attached to the 
lamp socket, varying from 12.4 cents to 18.6 cents per kilowatt hour. 

FUELS OTHER THAN ELECTRICITY. 

In Montevideo the central station meets with competition from the 
gas company, which is very active, since, with the general adoption 
of electricity for lighting purposes, it has been forced to secure a 
greater heating and cooking business. The price charged for gas 
for lighting, heating, or power is 9 centisimos (9.306 cents) per cubic 
meter, $2.64 per thousand cubic feet. 

Both alcohol and kerosene are used extensively for cooking and 
heating, more in the country districts than in the city. Alcohol sells 
for 30 cents a quart and kerosene for approximately 13 cents per 
quart. 

Wood suitable for cooking stoves costs approximately $25 per ton 
and kindling wood sells for $7 to $12 per thousand pieces, according 
to the quantity. Charcoal is sold by dry measure and costs 40 to 50 
cents a bushel. 

Coal is not used for domestic purposes, being both scarce and ex¬ 
pensive. To take its place attempts have been made to develop the 
large deposits of peat which occur in various sections of the country, 
but apparently it is not satisfactory either for domestic or industrial 
purposes. 

POWER AND TRACTION. 

It is hardly conceivable that manufacturing will ever be carried 
on on a large scale since many raw materials are lacking, and the 
local market is so limited that it is hardly profitable to produce 
anything other than articles of more common use. On account of 
the abnormal conditions which have existed for several years, im¬ 
portations have been so restricted that it has been necessary to manu¬ 
facture a great many devices which were previously imported. The 
success obtained in this direction has created a desire on the part of 
maiMifacturers to continue and a great deal of effort is being put 
forward to insure the maintenance and growth of the manufacturing 
industry. The “ Union Industrial Uruguaya ” is composed of some 
300 members, all of whom are engaged in manufacturing. Its pur¬ 
pose is to promote national industries by securing tariff protection 
and other governmental assistance, as well as by helping manufac¬ 
turers in their individual problems. One of its more ambitious 
schemes is.that mentioned above, namely, the establishment of a free 
manufacturing zone, within which raw materials could be imported 
without paying duty, except in the case of goods consumed in the 
country. It is thought that this, coupled with reciprocal agreements 
with neighboring Governments for the interchange of national goods, 
would draw larger industries to Uruguay, as they would thus be in 
a favorable location for manufacturing articles needed in Argentina 
and Brazil, two of the largest markets in South America. 

At present there are approximately 1,000 shops or factories in 
Montevideo and suburbs producing over 100 articles or commodities. 
Most of these shops are relatively small and many employ only hand 
labor, although a large number of small electric motors have been 


86 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


installed, as will be seen from the following table showing the num¬ 
ber of motors connected to lines of the central station at various 
dates: 



Motors. 

Horsepower. 

Date. 

Number. 

Yearly- 

increase. 

Number. 

Yearly 

increase. 

June 30— 

1912. 

1,888 

2,758 

3,421 

3,741 

4,098 


7,980 
12,508 
15,689 
16,800 
18,116 


1913. 

870 

4,528 
3,181 

1914. 

663 

1915. 

320 

1,111 

1916. 

357 

1,316 



The power circuits are three-phase, 50 cycles, 220 volts. Some 
interior stations are equipped with 230 volts direct current, but the 
demand for motors outside the district of Montevideo is very small. 

A striking example in the use of electric power has been given 
manufacturers in Uruguay by the American packing plant, which 
was erected a few years ago in Montevideo. All electrical material 
for the use of this and other packing plants was purchased in the 
United States in accordance with specifications issued by the engi¬ 
neering department of these companies. 

As the country is mainly dependent on the live-stock industry, 
there is very little use for power in the country districts. 

The Government is attempting to promote the development of 
mining. The absence of water power is a drawback to the greater use 
of electric power in either of these industries. 

TRACTION. 

In Montevideo there are three street-car systems, two of which 
are already electrified. The third, known as the Companla Tranvia 
del Norte, is still operated by mule power. The Government has 
purchased this line and intends to electrify it and extend it to near-by 
suburban districts as soon as conditions warrant. 

The company known as “ La Transatlantica,” is German, and be¬ 
longs to the same interests that own the central station in Buenos 
Aires. It has 160 cars and buys its supplies almost exclusively from 
German factories. 

The Sociedad Comercial de Montevideo is an English company, 
operating approximately 250 cars over an extension of track of 90 
miles. All its electrical equipment is of English manufacture, and 
purchases are made through the London office. 

Although there has been some talk of electrifying certain lines 
of the Central- Railroad of Uruguay, an English-owned system, it 
does not seem probable that anything will be done in the immediate 
future. Except on a few miles of this road, in the vicinity of Monte¬ 
video, the track conditions hardly warrant electrification. 

TELEGRAPHS AND TELEPHONES. 

Two of the international cable companies have offices in Monte¬ 
video, but all purchases are made at their headquarters. The same 


















URUGUAY. 


87 


is true also of the local cable company, the Compama Telegrafica- 
Telefonica del Plata, a German-owned company, having its main 
office in Buenos Aires. This company operates telephone and tele¬ 
graph lines in Uruguay and Argentina, maintaining a set of cables 
across the river between these two countries. 

The principal telegraph lines are owned by the Government. There 
are approximately 100 stations and 2,700 miles of line, to which 
additions are being made year by year. The instruments used are 
mostly of English make, while much of the rest of the material came 
from Germany. If American companies wish to secure part of this 
trade it will be necessary for them to make the same types to which 
Uruguayans have become accustomed. 

There are a number of private telephone companies, the only two 
of importance being in Montevideo. The larger of these is the 
Companla Telefonica de Montevideo, an English limited company, 
with some 8,500 subscribers and 16,000 miles of wire. The instru¬ 
ments operate on local battery, with hand-magneto ringing. The 
lines are all aerial, but the company is very desirous of remodeling 
the entire system with some new battery equipment and under¬ 
ground cables. 

It is not in a position to undertake this improvement, however, 
since the Government, following its policy of taking over public 
utilities, has been contemplating the purchase of the company at an 
early date. The Government is anxious to have more modern in¬ 
stallations and undoubtedly it will take the matter up if it pur¬ 
chases the telephone company, or will authorize the present owners 
to proceed with the work. In either case there will be a very good 
opening for American telephone equipment. 

The Sociedad Cooperative Telefonica is a locally owned telephone 
company, claiming to have some 3,700 subscribers, although probably 
two-tliirds of this figure would be nearer correct. Its equipment is 
rather antiquated and the installation is in poor shape, but in view 
of the proposed Government ownership of the telephone lines, the 
company does not contemplate any extensive improvement. [A full 
list of the telephone companies of Uruguay will be found on p. 132.] 

All wireless installations are owned by the Government. There 
are four land stations giving a maximum range of 650 miles, the 
largest of these being the Cerrito station at Montevideo, which is 
used to communicate with the interior, with Argentina, and with 
vessels at sea. There are seven marine stations having a range of 
100 to 250 miles, and eight portable military stations with a range 
of about 200 miles. All these stations are of the Telefunken type, a 
system made by one of the largest German electrical companies. 
Several extensions or modifications are contemplated by the Ministry 
of Marine, which has charge of radiographic work and installations. 

MARKET FOR SPECIFIC ARTICLES. 

DRY BATTERIES-DOORBELLS. 

Dry batteries are used in approximately the same numbers as in 
any city of the same size as Montevideo, although in the country 
districts the demand is proportionately greater. They are used for 
automobile ignition, doorbells, and local telephone operation. There 


88 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


is no local production and all are imported at present from the 
United States. In former years there was considerable competition 
from a Danish cell which apparently gave much better satisfaction 
than others. The price was approximately equal to that charged 
for the better grade of American cells. As none has appeared in 
recent years, it is not known what competition may be expected from 
them from now on. On account of the time elapsing between ship¬ 
ping date and arrival at destination care should be taken to send only 
selected batteries to insure their being received in good condition 
and with a reasonable length of life ahead of them. 

Doorbells of the ordinary kind are in constant demand, the iron 
box being more popular than the wooden box. One way of assisting 
local dealers is to encourage the purchase of gongs separately, since 
it is thereby possible to carry a larger assortment with the same 
capital investment. The competition has been with cheap German 
bells and it should receive attention as soon as European goods are 
again on the market, as these articles sell purely on a basis of price. 

CARBONS FOR ARC LAMPS. 

On account of the large number of arc lamps in use in Montevideo 
there continues to be a sale for suitable carbons. Some of these have 
been obtained from a factory in Buenos Aires, but they have not 
given especially good service and there is therefore a continuous 
demand for European or American carbons. These should be offered 
to the Administracion General de las Usinas del Estado, Montevideo. 

FANS. 

Desk and wall fans are becoming more popular yearly. For 
American fans the competition is with the product or the Marelli 
Co. of Italy. The 12-inch oscillating desk and wall fans are the 
ones most used, but considerable interest has been aroused in the 
6 or 8 inch fans for individual use. Ceiling fans are used to some 
extent in stores and restaurants. All fans should be wound for 
220-volt, single-phase, 50-cycle circuits. 

FARM-LIGHTING SETS. 

Several kinds of self-contained farm-lighting sets have been intro¬ 
duced with some success. There are a number of isolated farms 
through the interior, and as they are now using primitive forms of 
lighting there is an opportunity for a number of sets of 50 to 100 
candlepower lighting capacity. These should be suitable for opera¬ 
tion with kerosene on account of the cheaper cost of this fuel. Ex¬ 
perience with batteries has shown that it would be more desirable, in 
general, to omit them, since they are fragile and difficult to maintain 
in a proper condition with the unskilled help available. 

fixtures. 

The demand for fixtures is confined almost entirely to Montevideo, 
as the smaller household installations consist of flexible-cord drop- 
lights. The fixtures most desired are of two or four arms and 


URUGUAY. 


89 


rather modest in design. Crystal chandeliers were formerly used, 
but the more pleasing semi-indirect units have taken their place. A 
few of the more simple fixtures are made locally and many of the 
more elaborate ones are imported from Buenos Aires, so that in gen¬ 
eral the opportunity for American fixtures is comparatively small. 
Gas and electric combination fixtures are not permitted. 

FLASH LIGHTS. 

The usual types of pocket lamps are being carried in stock by 
nearly all electrical and novelty dealers, and are coming into popular 
use. One of the first things to observe in connection with these 
devices is the necessity for maintaining a good stock of fresh bat¬ 
teries, and manufacturers should arrange to make frequent small 
shipments of carefully selected batteries. Much difficulty has al¬ 
ready been experienced in pushing these lamps, as it has been im¬ 
possible to furnish fresh renewal batteries, while many of those 
carried in stock have spoiled completely before they could be used. 
Only American makes have thus far appeared on the market, and 
with proper care it is felt that foreign competition can be kept out 
entirely. 

INDUSTRIAL CONTROL DEVICES. 

Although a large number of motors are in use, and more are 
being continually installed, there is practically no demand for the 
better class of industrial-controlled motors, particularly of the 
automatic type. There are no rules of installation which require 
such devices, consequently motor owners are quite content with the 
cheaper designs. A few are sold from time to time as renewals, but 
sales of industrial-control material separate from the motors are 
extremely limited. Nearly all motors are for operation on 220-volt, 
three-phase, 50-cycle circuits. Formerly they were wound rotor 
type with brush-raising devices, even down as low as 3 horsepower. 
This is peculiarly a European type and requires special rheostat 
for starting. 

The American style of squirrel-cage motor has been adopted more 
widely during the last few years, and these motors require only a 
lever switch in the smaller sizes. Some, however, have been pro¬ 
vided with star delta winding, which requires a special double-throw 
switch. It has been possible to obtain these from European sources 
at very low prices, and the sale is so small that it would not warrant 
the making up of special designs for this market alone. There are 
some direct-current circuits in the interior, but motors are seldom 
connected to them, as the manufacturing industry is centered around 
Montevideo. 

INSULATORS. 

For house wiring the same kind of small porcelain knobs as those 
used in Argentina are employed. Here, the American cleat or split 
knob is practically unknown. Porcelain tubes with curved end are 
used to some extent as insulator bushings, but the straight tube is 
seldom used. Both telephone companies in Montevideo use porcelain 
knobs for their overhead wires, but as they expect to place these 
underground in the near future they will not now require knobs in 


92 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


inspectors vary in their estimation of the quality of the work, but it 
is only recently that there has been a strong inclination to combat 
the European influence, which has always been for low-grade ma¬ 
terial. Simultaneously with the Electrical Engineers’ Association 
in Buenos Aires, the administration of central stations is formulating 
a set of rules which will eliminate much of the poor material and bad 
practice with which the public has been afflicted in past years, and 
representatives of American factories should encourage this move in 
every way possible, as they would derive many benefits from the 
adoption and enforcement of these rules. 


BRAZIL. 

FEATURES OF THE MARKET. 

Brazil, the fourth largest country in the world, has approximately 
3,300,000 square miles of teritory, more than the United States with¬ 
out Alaska and 16 times the area of France. In this vast territory 
there is a population of only some 25,000,000. As far south as lati¬ 
tude 20° the people are mostly along the coast, but south of that 
point the country is more developed agriculturally and the popu¬ 
lation spreads out into the interior. 

The contour of the country is such as to make Brazil eventually 
a highly important market for electrical goods because of the moun¬ 
tains and abundant waterfalls near the coast. The whole eastern sec¬ 
tion, bordering on the Atlantic Ocean, from a point about 300 miles 
south of the Equator to a point about 1,800 miles south of this line, 
is mountainous. There are many narrow valleys between the moun¬ 
tains, mostly along the courses of various rivers, but no great ex¬ 
tent of plains. The mountain slopes of this section, which terminate 
abruptly near the ocean, are covered with a luxuriant growth of 
tropical vegetation. The other two sections are the central and 
western. The central section is a high undulating plain some 300 miles 
wide, crossed here and there by low mountain ranges, and continu¬ 
ing in the south through a region of low hills to a sandy stretch 
along the southern boundary. The western section is much drier 
than the other two but has great agricultural possibilities when 
brought under irrigation. It has never been carefully explored 
and many regions have not been visited by white men. 

MOUNTAINS, RIVERS, AND CLIMATE. 

\ 

There are four distinct mountain ranges in Brazil: (1) The Andes 
Mountains; (2) the ranges separating the valleys of the Amazon 
and Orinoco Rivers and forming the boundary between Venezuela 
and the Guianas and Brazil; (3) the mountains in the central sec¬ 
tion, including the central and western parts of most of the States 
to the northern boundary of Parana; (4) the coast ranges, extend¬ 
ing southward from the Sao Francisco River to the southern part 
of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, where the mountains end some¬ 
what abruptly in the vicinity of Porto Alegre and give place to a 
rather sandy alluvial plain between Porto Alegre and the coast. 
These last-named ranges are nearly unbroken, with only a few 
narrow intervening valleys, and in them is found the source of 
nearly every river emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. 

The river system of Brazil is a remarkable one, reaching most 
parts of the country. Its principal feature, of course, is the Amazon, 
which, with its tributaries, furnishes more than 30,000 miles of navi¬ 
gable water. On account of the winds, however, navigation is 
sometimes difficult during the summer months, or January to March. 
The depth of the river varies from 90 to 900 feet. There are very 

93 


94 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


few lakes of importance, the largest being a salt-water lake, Lagoa 
clos Patos, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. 

Contrary to popular impression, Brazil, taken as a whole, is not 
a hot country. The altitude largely determines the climate, and, as 
noted, much of the country is high plain or mountains, so that in 
parts of the year the temperature is so cool that one is not uncomfort¬ 
able even with heavy clothing. In the lowlands of the Amazon Valley 
tropical conditions, of course, prevail the year round, and the coastal 
strip is warm except in winter m the southern part. In the northern¬ 
most part of the Republic the rainy season corresponds to the winter 
months, June to August, but changes to the summer months as one 
goes southward. All along the coast the rainfall is heavy, often 
exceeding 60 inches a season. Going westward, however, it becomes 
lighter and lighter, and in the interior of the State of Bahia and 
in southwestern Sao Paulo not more than 7 inches is registered 
annually. 

MANY TRADE CENTERS-IMMIGRATION. 

For anyone expecting to build up an export business to Brazil 
it is highly important to note one difference between this country 
and Argentina. In the latter country practically the whole terri¬ 
tory can be handled from Buenos Aires, which is the social and 
business center. In Brazil the various sections have little business 
relation with each other, especially with respect to foreign trade, 
and each is served by its particular port. Not only are these ports 
considerable distances apart (it is more than 2,500 miles from Per¬ 
nambuco to Porto Alegre), but the requirements of the sections they 
serve vary widely. A company that wishes to do business over ail 
this territory should accordingly arrange for representation in each 
of the larger cities. 

Until checked by the war immigration into Brazil was steady, in 
late years more largely from Italy than from any other country. 
Many immigrants come from Portugal, the mother country, and to a 
lesser extent from Spain and elsewhere in Europe. Most of the 
Italians have settled in the State of Sao Paulo, and often starting 
with nothing have won economic independence. Large numbers of 
Germans have settled in the southern States of Parana, Santa Cath- 
arina, and Rio Grande do Sul, and have transformed former pasture 
lands and forests into well-tilled farms. Immigrants find occupa¬ 
tion both in the city and in the country. 

Brazil is exceedingly rich in resources. Its agricultural and pas¬ 
toral industries are becoming steadily more important, and mining, 
manufacturing, lumbering, etc., are only awaiting capital, transpor¬ 
tation, and labor to develop into sources of great national wealth. 

REVIEW OF MARKET. 

Brazil at present is one of the two largest markets for electrical 
goods in South America. Argentina has been leading slightly in 
past years, the imports into both countries being approximately 
equal, but the extent and character of the resources of Brazil are 
bound to make of it ultimately a larger consumer than Argentina. 

The factor of greatest importance in the future demand for elec¬ 
trical goods is the presence of an unlimited supply of water power, 


BRAZIL. 


95 


most of which is located within easy reach of the industrial and busi¬ 
ness centers, where electric power is required. The topography of 
this section will permit the building of transmission lines at fairly 
low cost, so that electric power can be sold at prices much lower than 
those for power generated either with native or imported coal. The 
two large stations already in operation and furnishing power to Rio 
de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Bahia, cities of special promise for the 
development of growing industries, have been very successful and 
have extensive plans for future expansion. Their success makes them 
good examples for the smaller plants, many of which are looking 
forward to a growth which will make them second only to these syn¬ 
dicates. 

Keeping pace with the industrial development will come the elec¬ 
trification of steam railroads, the extension of tramway systems and 
telephone lines, and a growing activity in mining. This will mean 
a growing demand for electrical machinery and supplies by com¬ 
panies in these industries, and also a greater demand for electrical 
devices from the people, as their purchasing power, already fairly 
large in comparison with some South American countries, gradually 
increases and their familiarity with electrical material in the shops 
makes them desire a wider use of it in their homes. 

Many of these developments are not looked for in the immediate 
future, but it is not too early to lay the foundation for future busi¬ 
ness. Competition with European manufacturers has not been'as 
keen as elsewhere, and many American practices have been intro¬ 
duced. American material is well known and has been used to a 
greater or less extent in practically every central station, where it has 
universally given satisfaction. By carefully studying this market 
now, and taking advantage of such opportunities as present them¬ 
selves from time to time, American manufacturers will be able to 
maintain their leading position. 

IMPORTS OF ELECTRICAL GOODS. 

Brazil imports more electrical goods from the United States than 
from any other country. This is due, in large measure, to the fact 
that the power companies in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santos, and 
Bahia use American material almost exclusively. The greatest com¬ 
petition has come from German manufacturers, whose business in¬ 
creased steadily, year by year, until 1914, when the total imports 
fell off to less than one-half the figure for 1913. 

Our strongest lines are transformers, insulated wire, generators, 
and motors, while England normally leads in cables, and Germany 
in arc-lamp carbons and incandescent lamps. In the miscellaneous 
small material such as wiring devices, we are well ahead of all 
competitors at present and should remain so. Other European 
countries such as France, Italy, and Switzerland are well repre¬ 
sented, and obtain fairly large orders, while Holland has been doing 
very well in lamps. Japanese wire, lamps, and porcelain insulators 
have appeared on the market, but not in large quantities as yet. 
Indications are that this Japanese material will become a factor in 
Brazilian trade, however, in the near future. 


96 


ELECTRICAL GOODS 


The following table gives the values of imports of electrical goods 
for 1913 and 1914, by articles and countries of origin (kilo=2.2 
pounds; values in United States currency): 


Articles and countries of origin. 

1913 

1914 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Machinery and apparatus for electricity and electric 
light excepting carbons, dynamos, lamps, motors, and 
transformers: 

Argentina ... 

12,807 

811,826 

7,747 

*5,120 

A iistrin-TTnn£ r n.rv--. 

22,955 

3,752 

21,154 

3,848 

Bp.ltnnm . 

23,315 

4,834 

11,543 

110,130 

38,322 

Dpnmarlr. 

1,381 

126,837 

4,969 

1,619 

France . 

204,893 

406,320 

128,597 

fip.rm any. 

2,012,810 

790,753 

665,914 

283,197 

OrpACfl . _ . 

152 

34 


Italy. . 

106,871 

63,160 

68,414 

20,597 

Netherlands. 

591 

2,045 

98 

374 

Norway. 

33 

40 

13,939 

3,043 

Paracnav. 

2,722 

1,321 

24 

61 

Portugal. 

1,772 

904 

4 

19 

Spain , . 



31 

476 

Sweden. 

15,881 

24,438 

4,668 

6,211 

Switzerland . 

129,292 

36,096 

102,702 

30,859 

United Kingdom. 

1,510,106 
2,943,761 
12,226 

676,133 

938,154 
1,044,602 
4,212 
41,233 

438,149 

TTnitp.rl States . 

1,599,952 

714,833 

Uruguay. 

5,402 

314 

2,335 

Other emintries. 

'203 

10,388 




Total. 

7,065,224 

3,355,931 

3,434,315 

1,688,048 


Electric-light carbons: 

A n stria-TT n n trar y. 



390 

103 

Belgium. 

46 

25 

120 

29 

France. 

40,847 

4,498 

46,027 

6,162 

Germany. 

136,137 

48,030 

38,980 

17 

13; 367 

Italy. . 


29 

United Kingdom. 

12,947 

4,917 

5,818 

5,374 
18,646 
298 

2,354 

United States. 

12,816 
4,060 

«;092 

47 

Uruguay... 

583 



Total. 

206,853 

63,871 

109,852 

30,183 



Electric dynamos and generators: 

Argentina. 

1,448 

758 

4,592 

1,721 

Austria-Hungary. 

407 

467 

Belgium. 

35 

52 

900 

317 

France. 

75,881 

24,742 
64,042 

10,938 
104,207 
4,009 

2,944 

Germany. 

172,315 
151 

32; 167 

Italy. 

66 

'869 

Sweden. 

9,660 

2 479 

82 

29 

Switzerland. 

31,719 
98,508 
372,018 
598 

5 ,696 
30,820 

9,533 

2,575 

United Kingdom. 

14; 809 
238,940 

5; 942 

United States. 

167'377 

81;105 

Uruguay. 

378 

2; 095 

'934 


Total. 

762,740 

296,877 

390,105 

128,603 


Electric lamps: 

Argentina. 



268 

486 

Austria-Hungar v. 

16,918 

12,941 

2,494 

3,849 

185 

Belgium. 

133 

445 

' 49 

France.\. 

18,328 

17,988 

254,975 

395 

19,563 

6,187 

104,787 

Germany. 

97,473 

52,395 

4,462 

6,467 

Italy...'. 

232 

4,776 
19,115 

Netherlands. 

16,295 

5 

46,299 

5 

Paraguay. 

Spain... 

547 

1,221 



Sweden. 

163 

'483 

562 

2,625 

Switzerland. 

130 

145 

United Kingdom. 

12,742 
64,750 

39,354 

101,554 

1 450 

2,417 
14 937 

6,890 

United States. 

33,687 
846 

Uruguay. 

'785 

239 

Other countries. 

17 

72 

10 

13 


Total. 

228,518 

477,327 

103,863 

183,446 


Electric motors: 

Argentina. 

259 

158 

4,079 

403 

5,202 

864 

170 

1,632 

Austria-Hungary. 

805 

15 

848 

Belgium_".... 

99 

































































































BRAZIL, 


97 


Articles and countries of origin. 

1913 

1914 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Electric motors—Continued. 

France. 

26,848 

279,411 

86,485 

16 

9,202 

43,422 

165,250 

210,972 

463,403 

3,173 

$15,190 
168,538 
30,167 
22 
2,058 
12,652 
58,140 
94,611 
215,166 
1,332 

12,344 

188,250 

60,062 

$4,787 

67,200 

17,359 

Germany. 

Italy...I. 

Netherlands. 

Norway. 

29 

8,293 

63,865 

89.378 

254,581 

16 

1,557 

23,263 

41,877 

103,358 

Sweden. 

Switzerland. 

United Kingdom. 

United States. 

Uruguay. 

Other countries. 

11,355 

2,672 

Total. 



1,489,261 

598,976 

697,841 

264,755 

Electric transformers: 

Belgium. . 

5,147 

3,534 

147,490 

2,992 
1,830 
50,448 



France. 

3,364 

55,118 

84 

2,449 

172 

29,879 

190,825 

5,623 

18,874 

63 

579 

128 

10,041 

87,065 

Germany. 

T , , J m m . 

Italy. 

Sweden. 

8,592 
15,660 
38,052 
796,177 

2,987 
4,300 
15,536 
329.887 

Switzerland. 

United Kingdom. 

United States. 

Total. 

1,014,652 

407,980 

2S1,891 

122,373 

Insulators (earthenware, porcelain, glass): 

Argentina.’. . . 

3,619 

23,727 

25,601 

22,867 

623,407 

588 

9,404 

2 

1,712 

53,177 

379,316 

4,504 

1,084 

2,850 

4,694 

5,324 

104,240 

111 

2,600 

3 

137 

13,230 

63,883 

412 

1,800 

10,625 

5,500 

7,174 

244,034 

246 
1,225 
908 
1,465 
42,950 

Austria-Hungary. 

Belgium . 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Spain. 



Sweden. 



Switzerland. 

15 

35,482 

202,265 

286 

20 

13,453 

33,542 

27 

United Kingdom. 

United States. 

Uruguay. 

Total. 

1,147,924 

198,568 

507,181 

93,836 

Iron and steel wire (except barbed wire): 

Argentina. 

275,088 

743 

1,314,368 

85,341 

20,474,588 

15,703 

48 

72,450 

10,484 

1,116,101 

386,851 

22,280 

Austria-Hungary. 

Belgium. 

298,748 

21.206 

8,129,357 

500 

7,330 

500 

22,263 

19 

844,791 

1,094,717 

562,361 

16,759 
3,102 
406,664 
132 
548 
86 
2,258 
9 

67,767 

72,901 

42,013 

France. 

Germany. 

Netherlands. 

Paraguay.:. 

5,908 

1,000 

7,006 

458 

152 

1,11*9 

Spain. 

Sweden. 

Switzerland. 

United Kingdom .. 

1,332,782 

2,117,808 

973,934 

109,505 
145,025 
76,903 

United State*? . 

TTnumav.... 

Total. 

26,588,566 

1,547,948 

11,368,643 

634,519 

Uninsulated electric copper wire: 

Argentina. 



67 

62 

Belgium . _ _... 

548 

3,854 

323,252 

51,404 

8,262 

334,850 

233 
2,404 
129,232 
18,708 
7, 249 
139,244 

France... 



Germany.. -. 

72,004 

23,442 

Italy . ....... 

United Kingdom. . 

1,045 

53,491 

443 

20,414 

TTnited States . 

Total . 

722,170 

297,070 

126,607 

44,361 

Insulated electric copper wire: 

Argentina . 



133 

220 

2,662 

416 

90,045 

639 

506 

120 

121 

795 

227 

36,416 

439 

126 

Austria TTunrarv . 



Belgium 

1,107 

7,872 

174,365 

71,655 

481 
2,912 
84,117 
17,760 

"RYq n np... 

Germ an v ...... 

Italy ..-. 

Switzerland. 


120766°—19-7 











































































































98 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


Articles and countries of origin. 

1913 

1914 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Insulated electric copper wire—Continued. 

United Kingdom. 

37,052 

754,374 

488 

$20,553 

308,923 

238 

3,860 

272,942 

456 

$3,108 

106,355 

186 

United States. 

Uruguay. 

Total. 

1,046,916 

434,984 

371,879 

147,893 

Electric cables: 

Argentina. 

3,605 

856 

318 

11,706 

1,918 

35,344 

196,283 

75,686 

160 

2,905 

794 

22,220 
80,121 
24,708 

Austria-Hungary. 

Belgium... 

1,064 
147,585 
579,580 
99,639 
199 
684 
6,551 
1,249,851 
487,856 
1,276 

538 
46,699 
167,016 
35,724 
22 
92 
1,760 
409,051 
162,735 
493 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Netherlands. 

Parapniav._.. 



Switzerland. 

3,052 

409,821 

264,528 

6,892 

2,233 

132,286 

82,907 

1,077 

United Kingdom. 

United States. 

Uruguay... 

Total. 

2,577,890 

824,986 

1,005,548 

349,441 



Detailed figures for later years are not yet available, but the totals 
for 1915 and 1916 for the various classes of imports given in the 
preceding table were as follows: 


Articles. 

1915. 

1916. 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Machinery and apparatus for electricity and electric 

light, not elsewhere specified. 

Electric-light carbons. 

Electric dynamos and generators. 

Electric lamps. 

1,857,576 
125,376 
116,786 
78,846 
198,734 
156,526 
117,810 
11,066,668 
123,014 
502,748 
895,431 

$702,427 
29,066 
40,201 
199,559 
80,162 
69,998 
33,188 
750,076 
49,436 
211,922 
266,689 

1,825,346 
105,090 
201,653 
109,074 
285,058 
330,703 
310,116 
15,057,370 
47,724 
567,073 
933,126 

$762,246 
25,490 
56,225 
211,041 
83,557 
102,945 
50,504 
1,213,966 
20,398 
240,660 
303,985 

Electric motors. 

Electric transformers. 

Insulators ('earthenware, porcelain, glass). 

Iron and steel wire (except barbed wire). 

Uninsulated electric copper wire. 

Insulated electric copper wire. 

Electric wires or cables, not elsewhere specified. 


TRADE REPRESENTATION. 

Since Brazil is so large the subject of representation presents diffi¬ 
culties. It is impossible to cover the entire country from one point, 
as a traveler attempting to visit all the cities, or even the most im¬ 
portant ones, would hardly be able to make more than two round trips 
a year. Conditions are very different in different sections and it is 
difficult for a person stationed in Rio de Janeiro, for example, to keep 
closely in touch with such remote places as Rio Grande, Pernambuco, 
and Para. Each of these cities acts as an importing and dis¬ 
tributing center for the surrounding territory and it is almost impera¬ 
tive for exporters to have an agent to look after their interests in 
each one as well as in several others of equal importance. 

Whether this representative should be a local branch house or a 
resident business firm depends largely upon the character of the prod¬ 
ucts to be handled. In any event, it is desirable to have at least one 


























































BRAZIL. 


99 


factory representative to act in the capacity of superintendent of the 
various agencies and to keep the home office posted regarding the 
numerous details that must be looked after. This man should be able 
to act on behalf of the company in matters calling for immediate 
decisions, to settle disputes, and to deal with the Government and 
municipalities. The last-named function is particularly important 
where contracts for materials are to be filled. 

The electrical business is carried on mainly by houses handling gen¬ 
eral lines of machinery, perhaps with a separate electrical department. 
These houses sometimes handle certain lines of goods on an exclusive 
basis and sometimes buy in the open market from the company which 
gives them the lowest price or in other ways seems most satisfactory 
to them. There are also a number of houses dealing exclusively in 
electrical material. The central station does not form new connec¬ 
tions as an importer, the best results apparently having been obtained 
by the establishment of factory branches. This has been done by 
Italian and German companies, and at least by one American com¬ 
pany. Smaller concerns unable to do this should try to unite in main¬ 
taining a small organization. If this should be done, and the several 
manufacturers should cater in every practicable manner to local re¬ 
quirements, their business would undoubtedly grow. 

CREDITS AND FINANCES. 

Accustomed as the local dealers were to receiving long credits from 
European houses, it was difficult for them, when the war broke out, 
to accustom themselves to paying cash in advance or even cash against 
documents. Insistence on these terms by so many American export¬ 
ers caused considerable friction and may have lasting results. At any 
rate local dealers are now obviously awaiting the return of commer¬ 
cial travelers representing European houses. 

Evidently there has been a decided tendency of late toward greater 
leniency in the matter of credit. There would seem to be no good 
reason why, with due diligence in selecting agents, the American 
manufacturer should not be able to adopt the practice of sending a 
90 -day draft with his goods, which in almost every case would be 
entirely satisfactory to his customers. American banks have been es¬ 
tablished and are now operating in several of the chief cities and are 
in a position to furnish credit information, handle documents, and do 
all other legitimate business for the assistance of American houses. 
The unusually long terms often spoken of were given only on rare 
occasions, and then by organizations with local branches, or by busi¬ 
ness houses in the territory concerned. The object was either to 
eliminate competition or to* bind the client more closely. In either 
case, the practice is a questionable one, and certainly should not be 
followed blindly. As a matter of fact, few people require or want 
unduly long terms of credit, but a certain length of time, usually 
three months, is desired, for the many reasons for which credit is de¬ 
sired in any business. The present situation should be watched care¬ 
fully in order that promises of long or apparently extra favorable 
terms are not made the instruments for taking away customers now T 
satisfied with their business connections. Free use should be made of 
banks, agents, and other reliable sources of information in keeping 
in touch with changing conditions, and if this is done there is little 


100 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


danger of losing customers to competitors who offer better terms, or 
of losing money from bad accounts. 

FORMS OF ADVERTISING. 

All the familiar forms of advertising are used in Brazil, although 
on a scale considerably smaller than that to which we are accustomed. 

Billboards and electrical signs are quite common, and the various 
newspapers and weekly magazines are filled with announcements of 
all kinds. Each of these methods is desirable for its own particular 
field, and in addition good use can be made of envelope stuffers, bul¬ 
letins for free distribution, window displays, and colored stickers. 
One plan which has been followed with considerable success, consists 
in furnishing dealers with business paper and envelopes, showing 
conspicuously the name and product of the manufacturer. Trade 
papers published in English are a very good medium for reaching 
the central stations and engineers, and the export trade journals are 
valuable in reaching the dealers and import agents. 

With some electrical devices advertising produces better results 
than with others, and manufacturers should study the problem care¬ 
fully from their individual standpoints. It is generally true that more 
advertising should be done, and the manufacturer could well afford 
to be liberal in making allowances to his local representatives for 
carrying on their publicity programs. These allowances might be 
either in the form of actual cash or of cuts and other prepared matter 
ready for insertion in the newspapers or magazines. All bulletins, 
catalogues, and similar material should, of course, be furnished free 
of charge. 

ADVERTISING LAMPS. 

Lamps should be advertised particularly for the consumer, and 
for this purpose, billboards or electric signs, if placed at well-chosen 
points, will undoubtedly be of great value. Constant appearance in 
the local newspapers and magazines of well presented and attractive 
announcements is indispensible. Street-car cards are widely used and 
are probably equally as productive of results as in other countries. 
Window displays should be arranged at every opportunity, as the 
incandescent lamp lends itself well to novel arrangements that are 
sure to attract attention. 

Fan motors and heating and cooking devices must also be adver¬ 
tised to the consumer, and the foregoing suggestions apply also to 
them. In addition, the dealers or central stations handling the 
goods should be encouraged to give practical demonstrations to their 
customers individually, and to have public demonstrations at frequent 
intervals. Many of these devices are very little known and it is only 
by such demonstrations that the public can be made acquainted with 
them so that they may become a part of the every-day life of people 
generally, rather than a novelty or luxury to be enjoyed only by a 
few of the more progressive. 

ADVERTISING BATTERIES, ETC. 

Dry batteries, switches, wire and wiring devices, while purchased 
largely by individuals, are handled in the main by contractors and 


BRAZIL. 


101 


wiremen, and the only practical way to reach them is through the 
retail dealers. There seems, therefore, to be little advantage in ad¬ 
vertising these lines in the manner described above. The surest way 
of establishing them firmly in the market is to appoint an agent or 
representative and make him so familiar with the line, its qualities 
and possibilities, that he will pass his enthusiasm along to the dealer, 
so that the latter will put forward the American goods in preference 
to others when no specific type is requested by the purchaser. This 
should be supplemented by envelope stuffers, inserted leaflets, detailed 
catalogues, and sample boards. In addition to this, if every pre¬ 
caution is taken to treat the agent and dealer squarely and the goods 
and prices are satisfactory, a great deal can be done toward educat¬ 
ing the contractor, wiremen, and even the general public to specify 
these particular goods by name. 

Other articles, such as motors, station equipment, and railroad 
material, can be made the subject of public announcements, but the 
result would hardly justify any great expenditure. Nearly all users 
of such material have access to trade papers or export journals and 
therefore see announcements, whether they have been intended par¬ 
ticularly for foreign trade or not. It is not to be expected that all 
buyers will be reached by the use of magazines, but rather they will 
supplement the personal efforts of the local representatives, who are 
constantly canvassing the field and coming into personal contact with 
possible buyers. 

USE OF PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE. 


Printed matter intended for agents or others known to speak Eng¬ 
lish may be in that language, but for general purposes all catalogues, 
leaflets, envelope stuffers, inserts, articles, and correspondence in¬ 
tended for Brazil must be in Portuguese, not Spanish. This point 
is still not generally appreciated, and it was recently necessary for 
a branch house in Bio de Janeiro to write emphatically to the parent 
company: “ It should not go on record as an accepted theory that 
publications in Spanish will answer equally well for Portuguese.” 
The theory so prevalent in the United States that one language is 
only a corruption of the other is not only incorrect, but fails to take 
into consideration the fact that the Brazilian is as proud of the 
language and literature which he has inherited as his neighbors are 
of theirs, and if we hope to found permanent business relations with 
a nation of 25,000,000 people we must address them in their own 


language. 

Further and more detailed information regarding the use of ad¬ 
vertising in Brazil is being prepared for publication in a monograph 
to be issued by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. 


PACKING. 

So much has already been written regarding packing that little 
need be said on this point, other than that the usual precautions 
should be taken to see that machinery and heavy apparatus is 
securely bolted and braced within the cases. The greatest trouble 
seems to have been experienced with the packing which permitted 
the contents of boxes to break loose, either damaging themselves 


102 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


or by destroying the packing, exposing themselves to the weather 
and rough treatment. 

Lamps and other fragile articles should be incased ip lightweight 
but tough packages and either floated in excelsior or other resilient 
material, or otherwise protected against jars. Packing cases made 
of tough cardboard or similar fibrous material have been used to 
very good advantage. 

Where the import tariff is based on the gross weight of the pack¬ 
age, with or without tare, each manufacturer should weigh his 
packed product, and keep this weight the minimum consistent with 
strength. In every case it is desirable that he obtain from his agents 
any suggestions they may wish to make based upon their experience 
and also that he learn from them the condition in which the goods 
are received. Their advice often leads to modifications which can 
be made with little or no expense but which save much time and 
annoyance. 

ENGINEERING SCHOOLS. 

The Brazilian system of higher education has devoted much more 
attention to literature, medicine, and law than to engineering; but 
it is possible to obtain competent instruction in the last-named sub¬ 
ject, especially in civil and mining engineering. The School of Mines 
at Ouro Preto, in the State of Minas Gereas, is perhaps one of 
the best equipped in South America, especially with laboratory 
apparatus. 

In Porto Alegre, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, the engineer¬ 
ing school (Escola de Engenharia), makes a special feature of its 
electrical course. It has machine shops and testing rooms fitted up 
with the latest types of modern machinery, where the students be¬ 
come familiar both in theory and in practice with their operation 
and design. This machinery was mounted by and for some time re¬ 
mained under the supervision of an engineer brought from the 
United States for this purpose. Members of the teaching staff have 
received part of their education in the United States, and as a con¬ 
sequence, the students are made familiar with American machinery 
and practices and are certain to remain favorably disposed toward 
our products during their future years of active work. 

A poly technical school (Escola Polytechnica) in Rio de Janeiro 
is the principal engineering school in the Republic. Its facilities 
include laboratories and classrooms for teaching all branches of 
engineering, and it has turned out some very capable engineers. 
Manufacturers in a position to do so would do well to keep in touch 
with these various schools and arrange means of displaying their 
products to the student body, either by sending actual manufac¬ 
tures or through catalogues. These students may later become pur¬ 
chasers, or may be in a position to influence the decision regarding 
types of material to be used in some of the large projects which will 
be carried out from time to time in the future. 

The principal engineering society is the Club de Engenharia of 
Rio de Janeiro. Its members are elected from all branches of the 
engineering profession, and although electrical engineers are in the 
minority, practically every member is familiar with or interested in 
such subjects as hydroelectric development and mine or railway 


BRAZIL. 


103 


electrification. Its bulletin is the only magazine devoted strictly to 
engineering subjects, and in it appear not only the proceedings of 
the society, but contributed articles concerning topics of general 
interest to the club. 


HYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENTS. 


Water power is abundant in the States of Parana, Sao Paulo, Rio 
de Janeiro, Minas Geraes, and a part of Santa Catharina. For¬ 
tunately, this section of the country is most suitable for industrial 
development, owing to its climate and natural resources. With the 
presence of continuous waterfalls, power will be available in indefi¬ 
nite amounts and at relatively low rates, thus relieving the otherwise 
difficult situation with respect to fuel. Native coal is now being 
mined in considerable quantities, but it is of inferior quality, and 
imported coal is very much preferred. Up to 1914 imported coal was 
practically the only kind available, but with the increasing cost the 
use of the domestic product became more profitable. The choice, in 
fact, lay between domestic coal or wood, since the exportation of 
coal from England and the United States was practically suspended. 
The present price of English coal is approximately $30 per ton in 
Rio de Janeiro, and wood, although abundant, is rather inefficient 
as fuel; the way is open, therefore, for a much wider development of 
the water power with which Brazil is so well supplied in exactly the 
location where it is most needed. 

The first large water-power plant was erected in 1901 at the falls 
of Parnahyba on the River Tiete, with a capacity of 8,000 horse¬ 
power, which was transmitted 21 miles to the city of Sao Paulo. 
Since then several large installations have been put in, among which 
may be mentioned the 90,000-horsepower plant of Riberao dos Lages, 
from which power is transmitted at 88,000 volts to Rio de Janeiro, 
and the plant of the Cia. Docas de Santos on the Itatinga River, 
with a capacity of 20,000 horsepower, which is transmitted 20 miles 
to the city of Santos. 

LARGE WATERFALLS. 


The number of large waterfalls—that is, those with a capacity of 
50,000 horsepower or more—is surprising. Following is a list of the 
principal ones, with the estimated power available: 


Horsepower. 


Horsepower. 


Bracuhy- 50, 000 

Ihla dos Pombos_ 50, 000 

Itakura_ 50, 000 

Avanhandava_ 60, 000 

Itapanahart- 80, 000 

Onca_ 220, 000 

Agua Vermelha_ 300, 000 


Douradas_ 400, 000 

Urubu-punga_. 450, 000 

Herval_ 750, 000 

Patos and Maribondo_ 800, 000 

Paulo Affonso_ 1, 500, 000 

Iguazu_ 3, 000, 000 

Sete Quedas_ 20, 000, 000 


Many of these falls, especially the largest two, are located so far 
from any industrial center that their development is highly imprac¬ 
ticable at the moment. The possibilities are so tempting, however, 
that various studies have been made with a view to finding out how 
the power could be turned into productive channels. Almost in¬ 
variably the conclusion of these studies has been that the only, satis¬ 
factory solution of the problem would be the establishment of indus¬ 
tries requiring a large amount of power in the immediate neighbor- 

















104 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


hood of the falls themselves. Two industries have been considered, 
namely, the production of iron and steel and the production of 
chemicals, such as the extraction of nitrate from the air. The quan¬ 
tity of apparatus and equipment which either of these projects would 
call for can only be imagined. That it is feasible to develop the 
chemical industry is apparent from the fact that a plant producing 
calcium chloride has been in operation for some time, and one or more 
plants for the production of caustic soda are to be erected in the 
near future. If they succeed they will give an impulse to the erection 
of other establishments, all of which will mean an increased market 
for electrical machinery. 

In addition to the above-mentioned waterfalls, there are a great 
number having between 6,000 and 50,000 horsepower, while those with 
less than 6,000 horsepower are practically numberless. 

In the State of Parana there are known to exist some 100 fairly 
large waterfalls, with a total capacity estimated at approximately 
1,500,000 horsepower. In this State, also, are located the various 
cataracts of the Igauzu and Sete Quedas. Minas Geraes has more 
small waterfalls than any other State, and the local government 
recognizes the importont part which they are destined to play in the 
future economic life of that State. 

At least 1,100 falls of varying sizes have been reported and rough 
surveys of 420 of these resulted in an estimated capacity of 2,500,000 
horsepower. This figure is not to be considered as accurate, but it 
serves as an indication of the tremendous amount of power which 
really is available. Much of it is within the reach of towns needing 
it for light and power, and the surrounding country is topographi¬ 
cally favorable for comparatively easy development. The rainfall is 
fairly uniform, so the streams maintain a reasonably constant flow, 
and the construction of storage ponds is not difficult. Probably the 
greatest development will be on streams furnishing a low or moder¬ 
ate head, although in the Coastal Range unusually high heads are 
found, as on the Itatinga River, where the difference in level between 
the intake and the turbines on the plant of the Cia. Brasileira de 
Energia Electrica, which furnishes power to the city and docks of 
Santos, is 640 meters (2,100 feet). 

While a majority of the waterfalls are located in the southern sec¬ 
tion of the country, there are several in other sections, and all of them 
have been under consideration as a probable source of industrial 
power. Estimates place the total waterpower available in Brazil at 
30,000,000 to 50,000,000 horsepower. 

The laws relating to the development of hydraulic resources are in¬ 
adequate, and neither encourage in a broad way the installation of 
large plants, nor define completely the protection which will be given 
to concessionaires. The (State Governments and the Federal Govern¬ 
ment realize this fact, and for some time have been attempting to 
evolve constructive legislation to cover all requirements. When they 
shall have succeeded, the country as a whole will be greatly benefited. 

CENTRAL STATIONS AND TRANSMISSION LINES. 

Electric-lighting plants were being extensively established in Brazil 
up to 1914, and even during the last four years considerable progress 
has been made. The people appreciate the value and importance of 


BRAZIL. 


105 


electricity in its various uses, and several European and American 
manufacturers with permanent representation in Rio de Janerio are 
continuously active in their propaganda for new installations. Many 
of the smaller plants have been put in with the assistance of European 
capital. It was a common practice for engineers representing elec¬ 
trical firms to submit original proposals to the various municipalities 
and to handle all details, including the final erection of the machines. 
This procedure was very successful in obtaining for them a satisfac¬ 
tory volume of business, and, of course, it assured them continuous 
business in supplies and extensions. There is still a very considerable 
field which could be covered in the same manner. 

Owing to the influence of capital when orders for machinery and 
general material are placed, it would be profitable to form a combina¬ 
tion of smaller central stations in certain localities, and operate them 
as a unit. Manufacturers investing in such a combination would 
secure the double benefit of a market for their machinery and profit 
from the'operation of the plants. The proposition was investigated 
by American interests a few years ago, but the matter was dropped; 
since then local capitalists have taken up the idea and purchased 
several of the plants, thus eliminating them from the market. 

TWO LARGE COMPANIES. 

Two large companies are operating at present, and both use almost 
exclusively American machinery and materials. The larger of these, 
the Brazilian Traction Light & Power Co. (Ltd.), is a Canadian 
corporation, owning the three plants which furnish power to Rio de 
Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and neighboring towns. The company in Rio 
de Janeiro is the Rio de Janeiro Tramway Light & Power Co. 
(Ltd.) and the two in Sao Paulo are the Sao Paulo Tramway Light 
& Power Co. (Ltd.) and the Sao Paulo Electric Co. (Ltd.). The 
management and general offices of all three are in Rio de Janeiro. 
Purchases in the United States are made through the Pierson Engi¬ 
neering Corporation, 115 Broadway, New York, but only, upon 
requests from and recommendation of the resident engineer in Rio 
de Janeiro. 

The second company referred to is the Cia. Brasileira de Energia 
Electrica. Its activities consist in the construction and operation 
of generating stations to furnish power in the States of Bahia, Rio 
de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo, as well as in the Federal District. It 
was founded in 1909 with Brazilian capital, to exploit concessions 
obtained by Guinle & Co., and is managed by the latter interests. 
Its main office is at Avenida Rio Branco 107, Rio de Janeiro, through 
which all purchases are made. Correspondence with this company 
may be in English. 

RIO DE JANEIRO TRAMWAY LIGHT & POWER CO. 

The hydroelectric generating plant of the Rio de Janeiro Tram¬ 
way Light & Power Co. is located on the Lages River (Riberao das 
Lages), where an extensive reservoir system has been installed. The 
present equipment consists of two 10,000-kilowatt alternators and 
six with 4,000 kilowatts capacity each. From the generator voltage 
of 6,000 the current is stepped up to 88,000 volts for transmission 


106 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


over multiple circuits to Rio de Janeiro, a distance of 81 kilometers 
(50 miles). Two transformer substations, one located in the center 
of the city and the other near the outskirts, having a combined 
transformer capacity of 35,000 kilovolt amperes, reduce the voltage 
to 2,400 and to 6,000 volts for distribution to the various substations 
throughout the district. 

A part of this power is converted into direct current at 575 volts 
for the street railways, while the rest is distributed among light 
and power customers on a three-phase, four-wire basis. The po¬ 
tential between phases is 216.5 volts and between neutral and any 
phase is 125 volts, the latter being used for light, and the former 
for power. 

A reserve steam plant having four 2,500-kilovolt-ampere and two 
5,000-kilovolt-ampere turbogenerators is maintained for use in times 
of low water or other emergencies. 

SAO PAULO COMPANIES. 

The Sao Paulo Tramway Light & Power Co. furnishes light and 
power to Sao Paulo, Santo Amaro, and other smaller municipalities. 
It also operates the trolley systems in Sao Paulo and Santo Amaro. 
Its hydroelectric power plant is located on the Tiete River, near 
Parnaliyba; the generating equipment consists of eight 2,000-kilo¬ 
watt, three-phase 50-cycle generators. The power is transmitted at 
a potential of 40,000 volts for a distance of 24 kilometers (15 miles), 
there being four independent three-phase circuits between the gen¬ 
erating plant and the substation at Sao Paulo. 

In addition to power furnished by its own plant, this company 
purchases large amounts from the Sao Paulo Electric Co. Power 
from the latter plant is transmitted a distance of 80 kilometers 
(49.6 miles) over duplicate three-phase 88,000-volt transmission 
lines. 

The Sao Paulo Electric Co. (Ltd.) is a subsidiary of the Brazilian 
Traction Light & Power Co. (Ltd.) and operates in the State of 
Sao Paulo. It principal customers are the Sao Paulo Tramway Light 
& Power Co. (Ltd.) and the municipalities of Sorocaba and Sao 
Roque. Power is generated at the hydroelectric station on the Soro¬ 
caba River, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from Sorocaba and 80 kilome¬ 
ters from Sao Paulo. The present capacity is 30,000 kilowatts, 
which can be increased to 50,000 at some future date. 

A duplicate transmission line with a potential of 88,000 volts con¬ 
veys the current to Sao Paulo, and 15,000-volt circuits feed the towns 
of Sorocaba and Sao Roque, distant, respectively, 10 and 35 kilometers 
(6.2 and 21.7 miles) from the power house. All electrical machinery 
is of American manufacture. 

THE BRASILEIRA DE ENERGIA ELECTRICA. 

The principal plant of the Cia. Brasileira de Energia Electrica is 
located at Alberto Torres on the Piabanha River, and has a present 
capacity of 15,000 kilowatts. The current is transmitted to the 
cities of Nictheroy and Rio de Janeiro, as well as several intermediate 
points. This company owns also the rights to develop other falls in 
the immediate neighborhood of this plant, the combined capacity ag- 


BRAZIL. 


107 


gregating over 70,000 horsepower. In view of the very rapid in¬ 
crease in the use of power, it is expected that extensions to the exist¬ 
ing equipment will be required in the near future, and plans are be¬ 
ing formulated for the erection of a new plant which will be re¬ 
quired before very long. 

The city and docks of Bahia and the cities of Sao Felix and Santo 
Amaro receive light and power from a station on the Paraguassu 
River. Three falls on this river aggregating 100,000 horsepower 
are owned by this company, and a new plant is being constructed. 

To furnish power to its affiliated company, the Cia. Docas de 
Santos, the Cia. Brasileira de Energia Electrica has a generating 
plant on the Itatinga River, from which current is transmitted to the 
city of Santos. The light and power are handled by an English com¬ 
pany, known as the City of Santos Improvement Co., while extensive 
docks are administered by the Cia. Docas de Santos. 

All the equipment in use or under consideration by the Cia. Bra¬ 
sileira de Energia Electrica is of American manufacture, with the 
single exception of the water wheels, which as elsewhere in Brazil are 
practically all of European makfe. The circuits are three-phase, 
60-cycle, 220 volts for light and 440 volts for power. 

CENTRAL STATIONS AT PORTO ALEGRE. 

There are three central stations in Porto Alegre, one belonging 
to the municipality, one to the Cia. Fiat Lux, and the other to the 
Cia. de Forca e Luz Porto Alegrense. 

The municipal plant furnishes current for the public lighting, and 
for private lighting in the outskirts and suburbs of the city. Its 
equipment consists of one De Laval steam turbine geared to two 
French dynamos of 125 kilowatts each, and two 100-kilowatt genera¬ 
tors driven by horizontal engines. All switchboards are of French 
make. 

The plant of the Fiat Lux furnishes current for general purposes 
throughout the city. Its equipment consists of nine generators of 
various types and sizes, and one modern steam-turbine set, consist¬ 
ing of a turbine driving two Siemens-Schuckert generators of 350 
kilowatts capacity each. Space has been prepared for a second 
double turbine outfit, which the company intends to install in the 
near future. 

The most important plant is that of the Cia. de Forca e Luz. It 
has a total capacity of 2,650 kilowatts, all machines having Dick- 
Kerr generators, driven by Beilis and Morcom engines. Current is 
used for general lighting and power purposes, and for operating the 
street-railway system, which is owned by this company. 

PELOTAS-RIO GRANDE—BELLO HORIZONTE. 

The Rio Grandense Light & Power Syndicate (Ltd.) is financed 
by local and British capital in about equal proportions, and is oper¬ 
ated by the British Electric Traction Co. Its plant has a capacity 
of 1,000 kilowatts in direct-current generators. All the current is 
used for power and lighting by the street-railway system which the 
company owns. The company requires a rather higher grade of 


108 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


construction work for connection to its circuits than is customarily 
found in smaller localities, and nearly all its equipment is of British 
manufacture. Purchases are made largely direct from England or 
through Brazilian and Argentine houses. 

The French company which has the contract for improving the 
port of Rio Grande is known as the Cie. Francaise du Port de Rio 
Grande. It owns two central stations located in that city. The 
old plant has American machinery with a capacity of 300 kilowatts, 
the current being used for lighting and power throughout the city. 
The new plant generates 800 kilowatts, mostly in 550 volts, direct- 
current, for the city tramway and the freight-handling equipment 
of the port. 

The State of Minas Geraes owns the central station at Bello Hori¬ 
zonte, and rents it to the Cia. de Electricidade y Viacao Urbano. The 
equipment is all American made and the company is largely com¬ 
mitted to the principle of using no other types. 

PERNAMBUCO-PARA—JUIZ DE FORA. 

• 

The Pernambuco Tramway, Light & Power Co. (Ltd.) is an Eng¬ 
lish company, and has a well-equipped steam plant, which fur¬ 
nishes the current for the tramways as well as for general lighting 
and power purposes. It is studying the possibility of bringing cur¬ 
rent from water power located approximately 50 miles from Pernam¬ 
buco, but no definite conclusions have been reached as yet. This 
company is in a very prosperous condition, and may be forced to 
expand its equipment materially in the near future. 

The Para Electric Railway & Lighting Co. (Ltd.) is an English 
company with a steam plant on the outskirts of the city of Para. 
All the machinery is of English make, and the company is committed 
more or less to the exclusive purchase of English material, although 
it has used many articles of American manufacture which have 
proved quite satisfactory. It is in a position to expand considerably, 
and American manufacturers should keep in touch with it. 

In view of the British ownership of the central stations in Per¬ 
nambuco, Ceara, Para, and Manaos, it is expected that their pur¬ 
chases will be confined very largely to British material. 

One of the oldest electrical companies in Brazil is the Cia. Mineira 
de Electricidade, in the city of Juiz de Fora. It was founded in 1888. 
and since then has been remodeled and brought up to date in every 
particular. It is now installing new machinery, which will give it 
a capacity of 6,800 kilowatts. All the machinery is of American 
manufacture, and it is expected that this will continue to be the case 
in the future. 

TRANSMISSION LINES. 

Brazil is preeminently a country suitable for the development of 
transmission lines. The waterfalls are very abundant in the southern 
section of the country, and numbers of them have been developed up 
to the present time, while many more are being studied, and will be 
harnessed as time goes on. The larger falls are seldom found in 
the immediate vicinity of the consuming centers, and consequently it 
is necessary to transmit power from greater or smaller distances. 
The longest transmission line is owned by the Cia. Brasileira de 


BRAZIL. 


109 


Energia Electrica, and furnishes power generated at its plant on the 
Bananeiras Falls of the Paragassu River to the city of Bahia. Cur¬ 
rent is furnished, also, to the cities of Cachoeira, Sao Felix, and 
Santo Amaro. 

The line of highest voltage is that of the Rio de Janeiro Tramway, 
Light & Power Co. From its plant on the Riberao das Lages, where 
the current is generated for the city of Rio, it is transmitted 30 miles, 
at a tension of 88,000 volts. 

The Sao Paulo Tramway, Light & Power Co. and the Sao Paulo 
Electric Co. have stations in the State of Sao Paulo, and have a total 
of some 50 miles of transmission lines of 44,000 volts. They also have 
a number of lines of 24,000 volts connecting their circuits with some 
smaller towns in the neighborhood of Sao Paulo, Jundiahy, and 
Sorocaba. 

The Cia. Docas de Santos receives current from the Itatinga plant 
of the Cia. Brasileira de Energia Electrica. This plant is 20 miles 
from Santos, to which the power is transmitted at a tension of 45,000 
volts. The latter company is also the owner of the Alberto Torres 
plant on the Piabanlia River, from which power is transmitted at a 
tension of 45,000 volts, a distance of 18 miles, to a switching station 
at Cascatinha. From this point double lines are run to the city of 
Rio de Janeiro, and also to Nictheroy, a distance of 37 miles each. 

Some of the other transmission lines of interest are the following: 


Location. 

Company. 

Capacity. 

Distance. 

Voltage. 

Bello Horizonte. 

Cataguazes. 

Juiz de Fora.. 

Lavras. 

Cia. de Electricidade e Viacao Urbano. 

Cia. Forga e Luz Leopoldina. 

Cia. Mineira de Electricidade. 

Cia. Forga e Luz Lavras. 

Kilowatts. 

1,800 

1,000 

1,200 

240 

200 

3,000 

250 

100 

600 

1,500 

300 

Miles. 

25 

53 

3 

14 

11 

14 

29 

19 

8 

7 

45,000 

22,000 

4,000 

10,500 

10,500 

15,000 

25,000 

15,000 

8,000 

8,000 

11,000 

Oliveira .. 

Cia. Luz e Forca Oliveira. 

Morro Velho. 

Pnerw T)« Oaldns. 

St. John del Rey Mining Co. 

Cia. Luz Electrica. 

Prnisn Alegre.. . 

Cia. Forga e Luz. 

Santa Barbara. 

-Tnan del Ttei. 

Cia. de Mineiro San Bento. 

Cia. Luz Electrica. 

Uberaba 

.do. 





All the foregoing transmission lines make use of steel and iron 
poles of various types and sizes, in accordance with individual re¬ 
quirements. Much of the material is of American manufacture. On 
account of the expansion of plants already established, as well as the 
installation of new plants, the market for this grade of material is 
one of growing importance. 

LIGHTING, HEATING, AND COOKING. 

STORE LIGHTING. 

In all the better-class stores modern fixtures and reflectors are 
being installed. The indirect system is being adopted in many 
instances, and has already attained such proportions as to warrant 
a belief that it will replace all other forms in the future. No one 
type appears to have a greater demand than another, but the cheaper 
forms consisting of bowl and reflector of opal glass, attached in a 
simple manner to the socket, are taking very readily. 

































110 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


In the smaller stores, drop-lights, with, or more usually without, 
glass reflectors of various designs seem to be entirely satisfactory, as 
the cost is comparatively low. The reflectors employed were 
formerly mostly of American design, but recent European imitations 
have appeared and have been able to undersell to such an extent that 
they have been gradually replacing the better article. In two or 
three of the larger cities, an active representative with one or more 
types of efficient reflector or combined unit would be able to obtain 
a very substantial amount of business. In the smaller towns, and 
particularly in the interior, little improvement is to be expected 
along this line for a long time. 

WINDOW LIGHTING. 

Some small progress has been made in the introduction of special 
window-lighting fixtures; for example, colored lights and blue-glass 
bulbs have been installed in a few instances, but in general window 
lighting is far behind that to which we are accustomed. 

The field for the better class of material for this purpose is con¬ 
fined to Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santos, and one or two other 
cities, as a great majority of the storekeepers are quite content with 
the present installation, consisting usually of two drop-lights with 
high-power lamps, without a shade or reflector, suspended in the 
center of the window. The effect is such an improvement over that 
possible with gas or kerosene lighting that they see little use in 
attempting further improvement. Time and education are the two 
principal factors which will modify this attitude. 

The window-lighting outfit most likely to be popular would be a 
cheap form of metal reflector to contain one or more lamps, which 
would be placed at the sides or top of the window. In this way the 
transition from crude to modern methods would not be abrupt. Any 
system based upon an accurate calculation of illumination would 
hardly be satisfactory, owing largely to the lack of ability on the 
part of local agents to make such calculations. 

SIGN LIGHTING. 

In Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, but especially in the former, 
modern electric signs are more common than in any other cities. 
These, instead of being the usual crude homemade affairs, are almost 
all imported, and apparently are made to order rather than formed 
of stock parts. The situation here affords a good illustration of 
what can be done by a progressive central station in the face of great 
apparent odds. In general, it would seem difficult if not impossible, 
to build up any trade in electric signs, which on account of their bulk 
and weight have to bear heavy freight and import charges, in ad¬ 
dition to their high initial cost. In Sao Paulo special arrangements, 
such as terms of payment in the form of rent, were made, with the 
result that some very attractive signs have been erected. Without 
similar action on the part of other central stations, it will be difficult 
to obtain any business in other cities, as some such inducement must 
be offered in order to interest the prospective customer. The value of 
attractive electrical advertising is just beginning to be felt, and there 
is still need for much personal propaganda in demonstrating its 
possibilities. 


BRAZIL. 


Ill 


PUBLIC LIGHTING. 

In all cities having gas plants, street and park lighting has always 
been done either by open flame or, more recently, by incandescent 
mantle gas lamps. The movement toward replacing these with elec¬ 
tric lamps has been quite general in the last two or three years, aided 
in some instances by the fact that the scarcity of fuel made it impera¬ 
tive to reduce the gas production to a minimum. In Porto Alegre, 
for instance, temporary electric lights were installed by attaching 
ordinary sockets to a wooden base, which could be mounted within 
the gas lantern. Connections were made to the overhead lighting 
circuits through a pair of No. 12 rubber-covered wires through a 
fuse and snap switch mounted on the lamp bowl. This was purely 
a temporary and emergency job, and it is expected that suitable 
fixtures will be purchased by the municipality and that gaslight 
will be abandoned in the near future. 

In the city of Rio de Janeiro there are some 22,000 gaslights, all 
with incandescent lanterns, and mounted on semiornamental stand¬ 
ards with one or three lights. For the main lighting system, however, 
dependence is placed upon arc lamps, of which more than 8,000 are 
now in use. These operate on series circuits, fed by constant-current 
transformers. A much smaller number of arc lamps is used in Sao 
Paulo and Santos, and here, as in all other cities and towns, the tend¬ 
ency is toward the installation of incandescent lamps to replace all 
other forms of street lighting. The larger installations probably 
will retain their series circuits, while the smaller ones will be of the 
multiple type. Thus while the market for arc lamps and arc-lamp 
carbons is at its maximum, the demand for incandescent lighting 
fixtures may be said to be just beginning. » 

lamps. 

European types of incandescent lamps, such as the Osram and the 
Phillips, have been very popular, and threatened to flood the market 
at the outbreak of the war. Later, American lamps have been sold 
in large quantities, and with improvements which have been made in 
the system of distribution, it is probable that they will hold their 
own indefinitely. These European lamps are of good quality, while 
the fact that the manufacturers developed the small gas-filled lamps 
to a higher degree than have the American manufacturers gives them 
a decided advantage, since this type has become much more popular 
than the ordinary tungsten-filament lamp. 

Two popular voltages for which lamps must be designed are 125 
for the city of Rio de Janeiro and 220 for nearly all the rest of the 
cities. The smaller sizes are most in demand, of course, but for 
advertising and street lighting units as high as 1,000 watts are not 
at all uncommon. 

An Edison screw base is the only one in popular use, the bayonet 
socket being confined to the special low-voltage lamps for train light¬ 
ing. Carbon-filament lamps are still sold but only in insignificant 
quantities, and they can hardly be said to be a factor in the lamp 
trade. The same may be said of the miniature bulbs or the various 
shapes different from the standard pear and round bulb. 

Arc lamps have reached their point of maximum demand and 
there seems to be no reason to expect an increase in, or even a con- 


110 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


In the smaller stores, drop-lights, with, or more usually without, 
glass reflectors of various designs seem to be entirely satisfactory, as 
the cost is comparatively low. The reflectors employed were 
formerly mostly of American design, but recent European imitations 
have appeared and have been able to undersell to such an extent that 
they have been gradually replacing the better article. In two or 
three of the larger cities, an active representative with one or more 
types of efficient reflector or combined unit would be able to obtain 
a very substantial amount of business. In the smaller towns, and 
particularly in the interior, little improvement is to be expected 
along this line for a long time. 

WINDOW LIGHTING. 

Some small progress has been made in the introduction of special 
window-lighting fixtures; for example, colored lights and blue-glass 
bulbs have been installed in a few instances, but in general window 
lighting is far behind that to which we are accustomed. 

The field for the better class of material for this purpose is con¬ 
fined to Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santos, and one or two other 
cities, as a great majority of the storekeepers are quite content with 
the present installation, consisting usually of two drop-lights with 
high-power lamps, without a shade or reflector, suspended in the 
center of the window. The effect is such an improvement over that 
possible with gas or kerosene lighting that they see little use in 
attempting further improvement. Time and education are the two 
principal factors which will modify this attitude. 

The window-lighting outfit most likely to be popular would be a 
cheap form of metal reflector to contain one or more lamps, which 
would be placed at the sides or top of the window. In this way the 
transition from crude to modern methods would not be abrupt. Any 
system based upon an accurate calculation of illumination would 
hardly be satisfactory, owing largely to the lack of ability on the 
part of local agents to make such calculations. 

SIGN LIGHTING. 

In Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, but especially in the former, 
modern electric signs are more common than in any other cities. 
These, instead of being the usual crude homemade affairs, are almost 
all imported, and apparently are made to order rather than formed 
of stock parts. The situation here affords a good illustration of 
what can be done by a progressive central station in the face of great 
apparent odds. In general, it would seem difficult if not impossible, 
to build up any trade in electric signs, which on account of their bulk 
and weight have to bear heavy freight and import charges, in ad¬ 
dition to their high initial cost. In Sao Paulo special arrangements, 
such as terms of payment in the form of rent, were made, with the 
result that some very attractive signs have been erected. Without 
similar action on the part of other central stations, it will be difficult 
to obtain any business in other cities, as some such inducement must 
be offered in order to interest the prospective customer. The value of 
attractive electrical advertising is just beginning to be felt, and there 
is still need’ for much personal propaganda in demonstrating its 
possibilities. 


BRAZIL. 


Ill 


PUBLIC LIGHTING. 

In all cities having gas plants, street and park lighting has always 
been done either by open flame or, more recently, by incandescent 
mantle gas lamps. The movement toward replacing these with elec¬ 
tric lamps has been quite general in the last two or three years, aided 
in some instances by the fact that the scarcity of fuel made it impera¬ 
tive to reduce the gas production to a minimum. In Porto Alegre, 
for instance, temporary electric lights were installed by attaching 
ordinary sockets to a wooden base, which could be mounted within 
the gas lantern. Connections were made to the overhead lighting 
circuits through a pair of No. 12 rubber-covered wires through a 
fuse and snap switch mounted on the lamp bowl. This was purely 
a temporary and emergency job, and it is expected that suitable 
fixtures will be purchased by the municipality and that gaslight 
will be abandoned in the near future. 

In the city of Rio de Janeiro there are some 22,000 gaslights, all 
with incandescent lanterns, and mounted on semiomamental stand¬ 
ards with one or three lights. For the main lighting system, however, 
dependence is placed upon arc lamps, of which more than 8,000 are 
now in use. These operate on series circuits, fed by constant-current 
transformers. A much smaller number of arc lamps is used in Sao 
Paulo and Santos, and here, as in all other cities and towns, the tend¬ 
ency is toward the installation of incandescent lamps to replace all 
other forms of street lighting. The larger installations probably 
will retain their series circuits, while the smaller ones will be of the 
multiple type. Thus while the market for arc lamps and arc-lamp 
carbons is at its maximum, the demand for incandescent lighting 
fixtures may be said to be just beginning. % 

LAMPS. 

European types of incandescent lamps, such as the Osram and the 
Phillips, have been very popular, and threatened to flood the market 
at the outbreak of the war. Later, American lamps have been sold 
in large quantities, and with improvements which have been made in 
the system of distribution, it is probable that they will hold their 
own indefinitely. These European lamps are of good quality, while 
the fact that the manufacturers developed the small gas-filled lamps 
to a higher degree than have the American manufacturers gives them 
a decided advantage, since this type has become much more popular 
than the ordinary tungsten-filament lamp. 

Two popular voltages for which lamps must be designed are 125 
for the city of Rio de Janeiro and 220 for nearly all the rest of the 
cities. The smaller sizes are most in demand, of course, but for 
advertising and street lighting units as high as 1,000 watts are not 
at all uncommon. 

An Edison screw base is the only one in popular use, the bayonet 
socket being confined to the special low-voltage lamps for train light¬ 
ing. Carbon-filament lamps are still sold but only in insignificant 
quantities, and they can hardly be said to be a factor in the lamp 
trade. The same may be said of the miniature bulbs or the various 
shapes different from the standard pear and round bulb. 

Arc lamps have reached their point of maximum demand and 
there seems to be no reason to expect an increase in, or even a con- 


112 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


tinuation of, their sale, except for replacements or renewals for instal¬ 
lations already in operation. 

Taking advantage of the policy of the Brazilian Government to 
foster local production it might be very profitable to establish a 
factory for making the most salable kinds of incandescent lamps. 
Labor is fairly abundant and could be trained quite easily to operate 
the necessary machinery, so it is largely a question of whether the 
raw material could be produced locally or imported at a sufficiently 
low rate to more than offset the higher cost of production in such a 
factory compared with that in an establishment turning out lamps in 
a much greater quantity. Factories established at some convenient 
point with cheap power should be able to compete successfully for 
the Argentine market, which, combined with the Brazilian market, 
offers a very considerable field. Importations of incandescent lamps 
into Brazil and Argentina in 1913 amounted to over $400,000, and 
while a national lamp undoubtedly would suffer at first, merely from 
the fact that the consumer would not believe that it could possibly 
be as good as an imported lamp, this feeling could be overcome by a 
properly directed advertising campaign. 

HEATING AND COOKING. 

The advantages of electricity for heating and cooking are but little 
appreciated as yet. With the tremendous resources in water power, 
it seems improbable that this situation can exist very long, although 
there are some factors unfavorable to a change. For example, the 
climate of almost the entire coastal section is tropical, and the tem¬ 
perature at certain times of the year becomes uncomfortably warm. 
Heating devices for this section of the country are quite unnecessary. 
The field for these articles would probably be confined to the cities 
in the southern and central plateau, where the temperature, owing to 
the altitude, is often too low for full comfort. Small resistance-type 
heaters have been introduced into the market, and according to re¬ 
ports, are being received with some favor, considering the fact that 
formerly it was never customary to furnish heat in any form, and 
that it is only in recent years that oil stoves and small wood-burn¬ 
ing stoves have been taken up by the general public. It is too early 
to expect much of a demand for the electric heater, which is so far 
in advance of the local habits and customs. A drawback especially 
common in the homes, is the fact that the wiring is not of sufficient 
capacity to permit the use of current-consuming devices. However 
this is not an important difficulty. The fact that the central stations 
themselves do not have sufficient capacity to furnish the current 
necessary, or that they do not run in the daytime, is a more serious 
obstacle, as it prevents entirely the selling of articles for which cur¬ 
rent is desired throughout the day. 

COMMERCIAL HEATING. 

The development of the various industries has been so rapid that 
many of them are using the most modern machinery and processes; 
consequently it would be a rather easy matter to introduce electricity 
for any purpose for which they are now using other fuels, and which 
have been substituted successfully in the United States. Among 




Special Agents Series No. 184. 



FIG. 9.—GERMAN CRANES ON WHARF AT PORT OF BUENOS AIRES. 



FIG. 10.—TYPICAL HOUSES OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 







































Special Agents Series No. 184. 



FIG. 11.—ELECTRICALLY OPERATED TRAVELING CRANES FOR LOADING COAL, 

RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL. 



FIG. 12.—GERMAN ELECTRIC CRANES ON WHARF AT RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL. 
























BRAZIL. ' 113 

other things electricity might be used for heating glue pots, solder¬ 
ing irons, and type-metal melting pots. 

For use on a much larger scale the establishment of electric con¬ 
verters for the manufacture of iron and steel has been considered. 
Various metallurgical experiments with electric furnaces have been 
carried on at the Ouro Preto School of Mines, but owing to the ab¬ 
sence of satisfactory fuel and the high cost of importing it, the 
prospects of reproducing these experiments on a commercial scale 
are not very bright. 

LITTLE COOKING BY ELECTRICITY. 

In those cities possessing gas plants, gas is used extensively for 
cooking, and this and municipal lighting are practically the only two 
fields left to it. Stoves, ranges, water heaters, and other equipment 
are usually handled by the gas companies which also do the instal¬ 
ling and repairing. Probably 35,000 stoves are in service, of which 
about 20,000 are to be found in Rio de Janiero alone. 

Electric ranges have not been pushed either by the central stations 
or the dealers and such sales as have been made can hardly be cred¬ 
ited to the activities of either of these agencies. The smaller stations 
are interested primarily in their lighting loads, many of them, in 
fact, not having equipment sufficient to permit the installation of 
devices which increase their maximum demand as much as electric 
ranges do. With the installation of new generating equipment con¬ 
templated in many towns, this condition will change, as nearly all 
the central stations have progressive managements which seem to be 
unanimous in regarding this load as a favorable one for their lines. 
Continuous propaganda in the shape of advertising and demonstra¬ 
tion will be required on the part of the dealer in order to develop 
the situation successfully. 

It should be noted that many circuits are of 220 volts and special 
care should be given to the construction of heating elements suffi¬ 
ciently rugged to withstand this voltage, as well as the treatment they 
will receive at the hands of unskilled servants. 

Various fuels are available, but gas and wood are consumed in 
largest amounts. The price of gas varies in different cities, but is 
usually $2 to $3 per thousand cubic feet. Wood, on account of its 
relative abundance, is fairly reasonable in price. 

The tariffs of the various central stations differ materially, but 
the normal cost of current for lighting purposes may be taken at 
15 to 25 cents per kilowatt hour. Power rates are considerably lower 
than these, but special rates for heating and cooking are available 
only in a few localities. 

POWER. 

Until recent years practically all the fuel used was imported coal. 
The price has increased from approximately $10 per ton to $40 or 
more, and even at that, it is extremely scarce and can be obtained only 
by a few establishments, such as the large gas plants. Under the pro¬ 
tection of these high prices, native coal which has been discovered in 
considerable quantities in the State of Rio Grande do Sul has been 
placed on the market and is now selling for $15 to $25 per ton for the 

120766°—19-8 


114 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


best grades and $3 to $6 for poor surface coal or lignite. Wood is 
abundant, but considering its price and deficiency in heating units, 
can not be considered a cheap fuel. All these circumstances combine 
to promote the increased use of central-station power. 

Comparatively cheap rates are made by the operating companies 
which are encouraging in various ways the substitution of electricity 
for other forms of power. There is probably no central station which 
is not enjoying a considerable motor load. On the circuits in the 
three cities of Rio de Janeiro, Nictheroy, and Sao Paulo, over 160,000 
horsepower is connected, and this figure is growing at a rapid rate. 

All the power circuits of importance are 60 cycles, three-phase, 
and either 220 or 440 volts. Both wound rotor and short-circuited 
rotor types are permitted. Single-phase motors which might be used 
on the lighting circuits have not met with general favor except in 
the sizes of one horsepower or below but are gaining in popularity. 
Although in certain sections the motors are subject to severe condi¬ 
tions of temperature and humidity, standard insulations as used in 
motors of high quality appear to give entire satisfaction, so that 
only occasionally does it become necessary to furnish insulation 
especially designed to withstand moisture. 

USE OF POWER IN MINES. 

The interior plateau or elevated section in the central and southern 
parts of the country abounds in minerals of various kinds. Deposits 
of coal, manganese, iron, gold, and precious stones have been ex¬ 
ploited for many years, and are still being mined, in many instances 
by the use of modern machinery. 

Coal is found principally in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa 
Catharina, and to a smaller extent in Minas Geraes. A company 
formed largely by Brazilian capital is working the rich deposit at 
Sao Jeronymo near Porto Alegre, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. 
The daily capacity is 700 tons and this was being extended rapidly 
in 1918, in order to meet the increased demands for fuel brought 
about by the prohibition of the exportation of coal from England 
and the United States. The Cia, Jacuhy, in the same region, has 
a capacity of 200 tons daily, which it expects to double or treble in 
the near future. Other companies of momentary importance are 
also engaged in working an inferior grade of semibituminous coal, 
but most of their operations are carried on above ground. 

The manganese mines are located principally in Minas Geraes, 
and most of the work of extraction is done by hand labor. 

Gold is found in the same State and what is reputed to be the 
deepest gold mine in the world is located at Villa Nova de Lima, 
near Bello Horizonte. It is owned by an English corporation, known 
as the St. John del Rey Gold Mining Co., and in its operations it 
employs hoists, air compressors, crushers, and other modern ma¬ 
chinery, some of which is driven electrically and some by water¬ 
wheels. Electric locomotives haul trains in the tunnels arid yards, 
both the storage-battery and trolle}^ type being used. There are sev¬ 
eral other gold mines, the next two in order of importance being the 
Ouro Preto Gold Mines of Brazil (Ltd.), with property at Pasagem 
and the Sao Bento Gold Mining Co., of Sao Bento, both veins owned 
and operated by British capital. 


BRAZIL. 


115 


GREAT DEPOSIT OF IRON ORE. 

Iron ore is known to exist in extraordinary quantities. One esti¬ 
mate, said to be conservative, puts the ore in the surface deposits at 
2,500,000,000 tons as a minimum figure. A very considerable part of 
the iron of the world will come from these fields if the plans of Eng¬ 
lish and American companies owing concessions in that region are 
permitted to mature. The Itabira Iron Mines Co. has been formed 
with British capital, and the Brazilian Iron & Steel Co. with Ameri¬ 
can capital and both are in possession of large areas of ore-bearing 
territory. For many years the production of iron ore has been in¬ 
creasing, but no active work is being carried on by these companies 
at present. The plans for the future, however, are very extensive 
and include the electrification of the steam railroad which is now 
being built from Victoria to Itabira, and which is in operation for 
a distance of 160 kilometers (99 miles) from Victoria. It is not at 
all improbable that other companies will be formed, and that modern 
equipment will be installed in many mines which will be made ac¬ 
cessible by the completion of this road. 

Much has been said about the possibility of smelting this ore 
locally, but in the opinion of one of the officials of the State of 
Minas Geraes this is not a feasible proposition, and according to 
him the manufacture of iron and steel in large quantities will have 
to be done elsewhere than in Brazil. In one of his annual reports 
to the State Government, he says: 

We have excellent deposits of iron ore, not only with a high percentage of 
iron but of great purity. The magnetites, the hematites, the itabirites, and 
the conglomerates are very abundant, but we are not in a condition to be able 
to exploit the great deposits which we possess; our Governments do not con¬ 
cern themselves seriously as yet with solving the problem of the exportation 
of this mineral, a problem which is most important, for it would furnish us 
the necessary element for a rapid economic development. 

We must therefore, resign ourselves to see our mineral being manufactured 
in other countries; it is sheer nonsense for us to wish to establish here a 
great metallurgical industry; the reduction of the mineral is made only by 
the aid of coal and this we do not possess, nor can we obtain it on a satis¬ 
factory basis—it is the mineral which procures the coal and not the coal which 
procures the mineral. The converters are always close to the sources of the 
fuel, as is the case in Pittsburgh, in England, in the north of France, in the 
vicinity of Liege, in Westphalia, Silesia, etc. 

Even in the electric furnaces, reduction of the ore can not be made, except 
with the use of coal; also electrometallurgy is suited only to a small production 
of high-grade steel; and as it is to have in the future a free development in 
Brazil, it would make use of only an insignificant fraction of the available ore 
which we have. 

PRESENT USE OF IRON ORE. 

There are at present three converters making cast iron, using 
wood charcoal as fuel. Sufficient iron has been produced to permit 
the exportation of a small quantity to Argentina, and in spite of the 
difficult conditions, the people interested are sufficiently optimistic 
to believe that much progress can be made in this direction in the 
future. The St. John del Key Mining Co. owns valuable deposits 
of iron ore which it intends to exploit when its gold-mining ceases 
to produce with profit. Looking ahead to the time when it will turn 
its attention to the iron fields the company has planted several 
million eucalyptus trees which it will use as fuel and for general 


116 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


mining purposes. A solution of the problem, now receiving serious 
attention, of how to make use of the abundance of continuous water 
power in connection with these ore deposits, would make of Brazil 
one of the foremost iron and steel countries of the world. 

POWER IN PACKING HOUSES. 

The manufacture of dried beef has been carried on in southern 
Brazil for a long time. The former establishments were primitive 
and required little or no power. To-day, however, these are giving 
way to the modern freezing and packing establishments which are 
in active operation, or will be erected in Bio Grande, Sao Paulo, 
Bivera, and Bosario. These plants employ power-driven machinery, 
duplicating similar equipment in use in plants in the United States. 
In fact, the material is usually purchased through the main offices 
in the United States, as the Brazilian establishments are subsidiaries 
of the large American packers. Occasionally material to supply im¬ 
mediate needs is purchased locally, but the bulk of it must conform 
to the specifications drawn up for the home plants. 

POWER IN GENERAL INDUSTRIES. 

Every effort has been made during the last four years to encourage 
the establishment and expansion of local industries, in order to make 
use of the natural resources of the countries, and furnish employ¬ 
ment to as large a part of the population as possible. The two prin¬ 
cipal centers of industrial development are Bio de Janeiro and Sao 
Paulo, in both of which places electric power is cheap and abundant, 
a fundamental condition which is very favorable toward manufac¬ 
turing development. 

The State of Bio de Janeiro, outside of the Federal District, is 
also important industrially, having at present nearly 1,000 estab¬ 
lishments giving employment to over 50,000 workmen. Most of 
these are located in.the city of Nictheroy, which is also plentifully 
supplied with electric power. 

In Sao Paulo, there are approximately 1,200 factories, some of 
which are of considerable importance. Among these may be men¬ 
tioned the following: Shoe factories, 43; textile mills, 51; printing 
offices, 45; machine shops, 52; woodworking establishments, 24; cereal 
mills, 11; iron and brass foundries, 36; manufactories of metal arti¬ 
cles, 12; and sugar refineries, 8. 

That electric motors are being employed is shown by the statistics 
of the central station, which had at the end of 1917 approximately 
45,000 horsepower connected to its lines. The increase in connected 
load is at least 4,000 horsepower annually. In the State of Bio de 
Janeiro there are over 100,000 horsepower in motors, and the annual 
increase is approximately the same as in Sao Paulo. 

Many other smaller cities are also becoming important industrial 
centers, and there is hardly a town where a considerable portion of 
the inhabitants do not find employment in manufacturing enter¬ 
prises. The most common factories are textile mills, factories mak¬ 
ing tobacco and dairy and agricultural products, carpenter shops, 
and coffee-preparing establishments. 


BRAZIL. 


117 


ELECTRICITY FOR TEXTILES, COFFEE, TOBACCO. 

Perhaps the most prominent manufacturing industry is that pro¬ 
ducing cotton piece goods and knit goods. 

Considerable cotton is raised within the country, and the greater 
part of it is prepared and woven in local mills. There are also es¬ 
tablishments for the fabrication of jute, silk, and wool, but these are 
of secondary importance. The three leading States in cotton manu¬ 
facturing are Sao Paulo, Minas Geraes, and Rio de Janeiro, with 51, 
53, and 23 mills, respectively. The total number of mills is 240, hav¬ 
ing 1,005,442 spindles and 56,000 looms. The power installed is es¬ 
timated at 104,000 horsepower, of which 63,000 is furnished by elec¬ 
tric motors, 26,000 by steam engines, and 15,000 by gas engines or 
water wheels. A relatively small amount of this power is used for 
individual driving, and this constitutes one of the best opportunities 
offered for the sale of small motors. 

On or near its property practically every coffee plantation has 
water power, which has been developed to furnish the current for 
lighting the estate and a small amount of power used to drive the 
coffee-preparing machine. Many of these machines come already 
equipped with motors as they are purchased through houses dealing 
especially in this class of apparatus, but there is also an opportunity 
for the sale of separate motors. This business can be handled only 
through local representatives, who will be in contact with the owners 
of the coffee plantations. 

The tobacco industry, while of considerable importance, uses rela¬ 
tively little power. The principal factories are foilnd in Rio Grande 
and Sao Felix, the latter a short distance from Bahia, which is gen¬ 
erally recognized as the center of the cigar and cigarette industry. 
It would be easy for any of the latter factories to use power if they 
wish, as the lines of the Cia. Brasileira de Energia Electrica extend 
there, thus making available as much of the capacity of the Para- 
gassu plant as may be required. 

POWER IN SUGAR PLANTS. 

As a sugar-producing country Brazil occupies a place of minor im¬ 
portance in comparison with such countries as Cuba and Java. 
Nevertheless, sugar making is an important and growing industry, 
and modern machinery is being installed in many of the factories. 
The crop for the season of 1916-17 yielded little more than 7,000,000 
kilos (about 7,000 tons), or considerably less than the maximum crop 
of 1908-9. On account of the present high price of sugar, greater 
areas are being cultivated and factories are being remodeled with 
the expectation of greatly increasing their output. The principal 
regions where sugar cane can be grown successfully are in the States 
of Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, and Alogoas, although Bahia, Sao 
Paulo, and Sergipe are also able to raise it on a somewhat smaller 

In the States of Sao Paulo, Bahia, Pernambuco, and Rio de 
Janeiro, some of the factories are already fairly well equipped with 
machinery, but the efficiency of operation averages low, and there is 
an immediate necessity for thorough reconstruction. The use of 


118 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


electric power is attracting widespread attention on account of its 
success m Cuba and elsewhere, and consequently generating and 
power apparatus will be in demand in all these sections. At the 
present time, the average power used in the mills of Sao Paulo is 500 
horsepower, but several use considerably more. Owing to the en¬ 
gineering problems involved, it is difficult to generalize on the re¬ 
quirements of the market. This business can be secured only by firms 
maintaining local engineers competent to cope with the individual 
problems of each factory. Much German and other European ma¬ 
chinery has been used in the past, but recently both old and new firms 
have had access only to American machinery, and they will not be 
in a position to revert immediately to the kind of goods they formerly 
handled. This puts us in a more advantageous position than for¬ 
merly, and factory representatives or machinery experts could do a 
great deal toward securing the adoption of American equipment by 
the new mills as well as by the old ones which will be remodeled. 

TRACTION AND STEAM ROAD ELECTRIFICATION. 

All the larger towns and cities are provided with street-railway 
systems, and there is a general tendency toward the establishment 
of others in towns of a smaller population. The low rate for elec¬ 
tricity because of the presence of water power is one of the strongest 
factors in this progressive movement. The lines in Rio de Janeiro 
and Sao Paulo are owned by the subsidiary companies of the Bra¬ 
zilian Traction, Light & Power Co. (Ltd.), and combined form the 
second largest system in South America, the largest being that of 
the Anglo-Argentine Tramway of Buenos Aires. All the equip¬ 
ment of these lines is of American manufacture, except the three 
electric locomotives used on the Corcovado Line, which were made 
by Oerlikon of Switzerland. The cars are all of the open type, 
some being equipped with four motors, similar to our standard inter- 
urban type, and the rest having two-motor equipment. 

Purchases for this system are made through the Pearson Engi¬ 
neering Corporation, 115 Broadway, New York, upon recommenda¬ 
tions of the engineer of the company in Rio de Janeiro. 

TRAMWAYS IN NICTHEROY, BAHIA, BELLO HORIZONTE. 

The Cia. Cantareira and Viacao Fluminense operates the tram¬ 
way system in Nictheroy, which is the capital of the State of Rio 
de Janeiro, and is located just across the bay from the city of Rio 
de Janeiro (which is the Federal District). It has in operation 
approximately 100 motor cars of the double-truck, two-motor type, 
with American and German equipment. 

The same interests own and operate in Bahia the Cia. Linha 
Circular de Carris, with 150 motor cars of the single and double¬ 
truck type. They also own the elevators and two inclined planes 
leading from the lower to the upper city. All the electrical equip¬ 
ment is of American manufacture. The municipality owns a short 
line of electrified street railways and has its own power plant, which 
is of little importance. 

The Cia. de Electricidade e Viacao Urbano operates 20 motor cars 
with American equipment. This property is owned by the munici- 


BRAZIL. 119 

pality of Bello Horizonte, but is operated by tbe company, which is 
in favor of using American machinery exclusively. 

CEARA, JUIZ DE FORA, PARA, PELOTAS, PORTO ALEGRE. 

The Ceara Tramway, Light & Power Co. (Ltd.) is an English 
company operating some 15 motor cars of the single-truck, two- 
motor type, equipped with British controllers and motors. 

The Cia. Minera de Electricidade has eight motor cars operating 
on belt lines within the city, and the short suburban line extending 
into the near-by country. American equipment is used throughout. 

The Para Electric Railway & Lighting Co. (Ltd.) is a British 
corporation, and its equipment is exclusively British. The man¬ 
agement is disposed to purchase only material made in England, 
either for renewals or additional equipment. 

The Rio Grandense Lighting Power Syndicate (Ltd.) is com¬ 
posed partly of local capital and partly of English capital, and 
operates 10 cars over an extension of track of 14 kilometers (8.7 
miles). This it proposes to extend for another 13 kilometers in the 
near future. The equipment is of English and American manu¬ 
facture, and the latter would have an equal chance with the former 
for all new material. 

The Cia. de Force e Luz Porto Alegre has 100 motor cars with 
Dick, Kerr & Co. equipment. Owing to the close relations existing 
between these two companies, all supplies and new material will be 
confined to the productions of that factory. There has been some 
talk of selling this tramway company to an American syndicate, in 
which case the chance for selling American material would be much 
better than it is at present. 

PERNAMBUCO, RIO GRANDE, SANTOS, SAO PAULO. 

The Pernambuco Tramway, Light & Power Co. (Ltd.) is operat¬ 
ing some 60 motor cars through the city, and is planning to electrify 
the steam road which it owns, and which has an extension of track 
of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). This may be linked with the present 
street-railway system, as soon as it is possible to obtain the necessary 
equipment. It is probable that all material will be purchased in 
England, although the local management is very favorable toward 
American goods in general. 

The Cie. Francaise du Port de Rio Grande has the concession for 
port improvements and also for operating the central station and 
street-railway system in Rio Grande. It has 10 open cars, with two- 
motor equipment. Its policy is to purchase French machinery and 
supplies whenever possible. 

The City of Santos Improvements Co. received the concession for 
laying sewers and new water supplies for Santos, and with it the 
right to furnish light and power and operate the street-railway sys¬ 
tem. It has 200 motor cars of various types, but nearly all are 
equipped with British controllers and motors. 

Considerable American material has been used in recent years, and 
while all purchases are made through the London office, the local 
management has a good deal of influence in determining whether 
American or British goods shall be used. 


120 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


The Sao Paulo Tramway Light & Power Co. (Ltd.) is a sub¬ 
sidiary of the Brazilian Traction Light & Power Co., and for the 
last few years has been extending the tramway system in Sao Paulo. 
It has now in active operation some 350 motor cars with American 
electrical equipment, and it is not likely that it will consider any 
other kind. 

In addition to the foregoing, there are several smaller companies, 
such as the Campo Grande, Sorocaba, and Manaos. In general, the 
business of both the smaller and the larger companies can be ob¬ 
tained only through local representatives, although much good 
could perhaps be accomplished by keeping the management of the 
several companies posted, through correspondence and catalogues, 
concerning the products or materials on sale. All these companies 
are well equipped to do their own repair work, including winding 
coils or completed fields. Many of them are also quite expert in 
making mechanical repairs and in constructing much of the frame¬ 
work or even complete car bodies. 

INTEREST IN STEAM-ROAD ELECTRIFICATION. 

For some little time there has been a good deal of interest in the 
electrifying of the present steam roads, and some progress will 
probably be made in this direction in the next few years. The Cia. 
Paulista, operating in the State of Sao Paulo, has already completed 
its preliminary study and drawn up complete plans and specifica¬ 
tions for the electrification of a large part of its main lines. All 
further work is being held up pending a return to normal conditions 
in the manufacturing centers of Europe and the United States, but 
the company is expected to call soon for particulars on the neces¬ 
sary generating and power machines. This is one of the most pros¬ 
perous railways in Brazil, and there would seem to be no obstacle in 
the way of the fulfillment of its plans. Other roads, knowing of the 
intention of the Paulista Co., are waiting for it to take the initiative, 
and the successful completion of the project would probably result in 
similar activity on their part. 

The Sao Paulo Railway Co., which operates between Sao Paulo 
and Santos, is another very wealthy road, and is contemplating the 
electrification of its line, particularly that section which includes the 
present cableway near Santos. For both of these projects ample 
power would be available, either from the plant of the Cia. Docas 
de Santos or the Sao Paulo Electric Co., or from new plants which the 
companies would install independently in the vicinity of the lines. 

The Central Railroad of Brazil (Estrada de Ferro Central do 
Brazil) is owned by the Brazilian Government and extends from 
Rio de Janeiro to surrounding States. Studies have been made for 
the electrification of its suburban lines and of the entire main line ex¬ 
tending from Rio de Janeiro to Barra do Pirahy. This latter section 
is particularly difficult for steam operation, as it involves a wind¬ 
ing ascent of heavy grades and the expenditure of a great amount of 
fuel. With imported coal at $30 a ton or more the saving by elec¬ 
trical operation would be very great, and even at the pre-war price 
of $8 it would be more profitable to operate with hydroelectric 
power furnished by one of the large operating companies in that 
district. 


BRAZIL. 


121 


The railway now operating from the city of Victoria, and known 
as the Victoria-to-Minas Railway, will some day be extended to 
the Itabira iron-ore district in the State of Minas Geraes. Consider¬ 
able progress has already been made in the plans for the electrifi¬ 
cation of the line, the power to be generated at three falls on the 
Rio Doce, with a total capacity of 50,000 horsepower. It is under¬ 
stood that this contract has already been promised to an English firm 
of engineers and manufacturers. 

TELEPHONES AND TELEGRAPHS. 

TELEGRAPH AND CABLE LINES. 

The telegraph lines are under the control of the Government and 
are managed by the department known as Direccao Geral dos Tele- 
graphos. There are approximately 42,000 kilometers (26,000 miles) 
of lines with 75,000 kilometers (46,500 miles) of wire reaching from 
the capital to more than 800 stations located throughout the country. 
In recent years a special commission has been at work locating 
strategic lines to serve the great interior district of the upper Ama¬ 
zon, which is practically an unknown and unexplored wilderness, 
having as its only means of communication with Rio de Janeiro the 
boats which ply the Amazon River and its tributaries. 

A private cable has been laid in the bed of the river, connecting 
Para with Manaos, as experiments with wireless equipment for this 
service have so far proved rather unsuccessful. 

All supplies for the department of telegraphs have been purchased 
previously from European manufacturers, as they have always made 
a special practice of facilitating the efforts of the Government in such 
matters as terms of payment, character of material required, and 
elimination of middlemen. Detailed information regarding goods 
which this department requires, together with the estimated average 
annual purchases, are on file at the New York office of the Bureau of 
Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Room 734, Customhouse. 

WIRELESS TELEGRAPH. 

Some few years ago the Government entered into a contract with 
the Marconi interests, under the terms of which the latter were to 
install and maintain whatever wireless stations and equipment the 
Government might require from time to time. Some 20 medium- 
power land stations have been erected, and all boats in the Navy 
and the merchant marine are equipped with stations of power suffi¬ 
cient to keep them always in communication with some station on 
the coast. Under normal conditions of navigation aspirants for the 
position of wireless operator are trained by the Government, and the 
use of private sets is so restricted that there is practically no oppor¬ 
tunity for the sale of amateur sets. 

In 1918 certain Government officials were active in opposing the 
renewal of the above contract, in order that the Government itself 
might take over complete control and operation of all except the 
high-power international stations. 

TELEPHONES. 

The most modern and complete telephone equipment in South 
America is that owned and operated by the Brazilian Traction Light 


122 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


& Power Co. Its two main exchanges are located in Rio de Janeiro 
and Sao Paulo, but its lines radiate over a large part of the States 
of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and, to a smaller extent, Minas 
Geraes. Double toll lines have been installed recently between Sao 
Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and extensions are being made rapidly to 
take in or make connections with independent exchanges located in 
various nearby towns. All the material used by this company is 
American made, and the installations are under the control of Ameri¬ 
can engineers. There are at present, approximately 40,000 instru¬ 
ments in active service, which is over 10,000 more than in 1914. This 
rapid expansion is due to the natural growth within the territory 
and the absorption of other companies, and it is probable that it will 
continue at even a greater rate for the next few years. 

The smaller exchanges throughout the country are equipped in 
general with European local-battery magneto-ringing instruments, 
with grounded return circuits. The system of the Brazilian Trac¬ 
tion, Light & Power Co. is of metallic return, and, wherever possible, 
lines are being placed in underground conduits, since the company 
follows everywhere the best American practices. 

All towns of importance have telephone systems, but there is little 
to be said regarding them, except that all companies show a general 
tendency to adopt more modern equipment. Wherever American 
switchboards or instruments have been used they have given entire 
satisfaction, and by properly cultivating this market, American 
manufacturers can secure practically a monopoly of the business of 
the larger exchanges. It would be very desirable to have a special 
engineer located in Brazil to assist the company to solve its problems 
and recommend the proper type of apparatus to install, and this 
would probably be profitable in due course. 

There is a field for the investment of capital either in the establish¬ 
ment of new companies or in the amalgamation of those already es¬ 
tablished, as is indicated by the experience of the Cia. Telephonica 
Rio Grandense, with headquarters in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do 
Sul. This company has lines connecting some 50 exchanges cover¬ 
ing practically the entire State of Rio Grande do Sul. It is very 
progressive, and is largely owned by Uruguayan capital. In Porto 
Alegre, it has a small central-battery equipment, but the majority of 
instruments are of the local-battery magneto-ringing type. At pres¬ 
ent it has more than 6,000 subscribers, and is planning considerable 
extensions for the near future. American equipment has been used 
to a small extent, and efforts should be made to see that it is more 
widely adopted, as the company is apparently very well satisfied 
with the goods it has used thus far. 

A list of the more important telephone companies is given on 
page 133. 

MARKET FOR SPECIFIC ARTICLES. 

ARC-LAMP CARBONS. 

Arc lamps for public illumination and for private use are con¬ 
fined very largely to Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Santos. The 
total number of arc lamps in active operation does not exceed 12,000 
and the consumption of carbons may be estimated. Practically all 
arc lamps are of American manufacture and the carbons used give 



BRAZIL. 123 

satisfaction. The purchasers of this material are the central stations 
pperating in the respective cities. 

BATTERIES, DRY AND STORAGE. 

The demand for dry batteries is rather extensive, as they are used 
in large numbers for doorbells, automobile ignition, and telephones. 
Several kinds made in the United States have met with a reason¬ 
able degree of success and are looked upon as standard. However a 
company has been formed with fairly strong local backing to manu¬ 
facture and push the sale of dry batteries, and it hopes to secure 
a large part of the business now enjoyed by foreign firms. Tests 
indicate that when fresh, at least, these batteries compare favorably 
with the best American cells, and can be sold considerably cheaper. 
One distinct advantage which it possesses is that, as it is made in 
Rio de Janeiro, dealers can be assured of a continuous supply of 
fresh batteries, whereas the imported goods are received with such 
irregularity that many of them become useless before they are sold. 
This situation would be helped by using extra care in the selection 
of batteries for export, and by arranging for shipment in small quan¬ 
tities but at frequent intervals. Cutting down the loss would mean q, 
reduction in the retail price, which is highly desirable, as the local 
batteries have a strong appeal to the purchasing public because of 
their being a national product. 

If American manufacturers have difficulty in securing a volume 
of business they expect, it may be worth while to consider the erection 
of a small plant in Rio de Janeiro to manufacture the batteries. The 
possibilities in such a project will become more and more apparent 
with the increased availability of labor and cheap power, and the 
favorable concessions which are being made to encourage the estab¬ 
lishment of local industries. 

The field for storage batteries is created by the several tramway 
systems and the steam railroads which use electrically lighted trains. 
For the first, the total capacity in use at present probably does not 
exceed 20,000 ampere-hours; of this amount, one-half is in Rio de 
Janeiro. Both European and American types of train-lighting 
equipment are popular, and the latter certainly has at least an equal 
chance for the business. Most of the sets now in use came already 
attached to the cars. The representative of a car-manufacturing cor¬ 
poration might easily act as agent for the car-lighting system, in¬ 
cluding the storage batteries. 

American automobiles have been gaining in popularity very rap¬ 
idly, and as each one is supplied with batteries for starting and light¬ 
ing it,will soon be imperative to establish branches or service sta¬ 
tions for the care and sale of suitable equipment. This applies to 
several of the larger cities, but even in the smaller towns the number 
of automobiles in use is increasing all the time, and the demand for 
new batteries or repair parts is expanding to a corresponding degree. 

BELLS AND ANNUNCIATORS. 

Doorbells are in common use in all houses and there is no one 
kind which is more popular than another, although the metal box 
is used to a greater extent than the wooden box. It has been said that 
the supplying of various finishes to match interior decorations might 


124 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


result in increased sales, but it would hardly seem justifiable to go 
to any great expense in making preparations, as the total sales that 
might be made are rather limited. 

Push buttons, both of the simple wooden kind and the more elabo¬ 
rate designs in bronze, have a ready sale for the better class of resi¬ 
dences. The more ornate push buttons are very much liked for in¬ 
terior use. Instead of the customary form of floor or table button, a 
so-called pear button suspended from the ceiling by a flexible cord, is 
commonly used. This is made of wood or porcelain and sometimes is 
very fancy. 

The demand for annunciators is very small, being confined largely 
to hotels and pensions, and large sizes are required, having a capacity 
of 20 numbers or more. More could be used if the wiring contract¬ 
ors were educated up to the value of demonstrating their usefulness, 
but this is a campaign which can be undertaken only by the dealers 
on the ground. 

CONDUIT AND ACCESSORIES. 

maintain their own inspection department, and encouraged the use of 
high-grade material, there has been quite a market for flexible-steel 
co iduit of the better grade. The practice followed in wiring larger 

Since the central stations in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro used to 
buildings is to lay this conduit directly in the concrete floor and walls. 
This is particularly an article of American manufacture, and not 
only have we enjoyed the bulk of this business, but we shall continue 
to do so in the future. The lighter such conduit is in weight, the 
less it will cost to import, and consequently the greater will be its 
sale in comparison with the competitive brands of much greater 
weight. 

Rigid iron conduit is also used in quantities, but a make about one- 
third less than our standard would be amply sufficient for the needs 
and would sell in greater amounts. 

The cheapest grades of conduit such as the Bergmann type are 
not allowed on some circuits, but are used in many of the small in¬ 
stallations in the interior. The general demand is for rather higher- 
grade material and this certainly should be encouraged by our manu¬ 
facturers, since to cater to those asking for very inferior material not 
only cheapens the market, but encourages competition of a nature 
which it is difficult to meet. 

In all the larger cities, there is an increasing extension of the un¬ 
derground conduit systems. Much of the cable is laid directly in 
the ground, or in brick-lined ditches, but fiber conduit has been used 
very successfully, and with some effort on the part of selling agents 
it should be possible to extend the sale of this material more widely. 

ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILES. 

There are in active operation one or two electrical passenger cars, 
but there does not seem to be any interest in extending their use, 
either on the part of the central stations or the automobile dealers. 
In the cities of Santos, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, and the up¬ 
per city of Bahia, a majority of the streets are sufficiently well 
paved to make the use of automobiles a pleasure, but in most of the 


BRAZIL. 


125 


other cities the paving is confined to several of the main streets only. 
It is probable, however, that the only place where pleasure vehicles 
would be reasonably sure of any sale would be in the city of Rio de 
Janeiro. There appeared recently five large automobiles for carry¬ 
ing passengers, which had been constructed in the United States 
and were equipped with American motors, controllers, and batteries. 
If the venture is obviously successful it may have a favorable effect 
on the demand for passenger electric cars, otherwise little encourage¬ 
ment can be extended to manufacturers of these cars so far as Brazil 
is concerned. 

FANS. 

Fans of all kinds have a very ready sale, since the climate favors 
their use throughout a large part of the country, and for a considerable 
part of the year. The 12-inch bracket fan, suitable for desk or wall 
operation, is most popular, and the oscillating type is likely to dis¬ 
place the fixed type completely. The introduction of a smaller fan, 
that is, one having a diameter of approximately 6 inches, would meet 
with a ready response, especially if it could be sold at a relatively 
low price; such a fan w 7 ould be desirable especially for individual 
office and home use. 

Fans with four or six blades suspended from the ceiling or at¬ 
tached to vertical columns are used in hotel dining rooms and res¬ 
taurants in many cities, and will undoubtedly remain popular for 
such uses. Competition from European makes has been severe in 
recent years, principally because ours are always higher in price. 

Exhaust ventilators are used very seldom, although they have been 
installed to some extent in hotels and restaurants. Apparently this 
field has been overlooked. 

FARM-LIGHTING SETS. 

In the southern part of Brazil, where there are a number of 
ranches located long distances from the central stations, there is a 
small market for self-contained lighting sets consisting of low-volt¬ 
age generators driven by kerosene or gasoline engines. Probably the 
50-light and 100-light sets are the best sellers. It is hard to deter¬ 
mine whether these sets should be accompanied by storage batteries 
or not, as the breakage is likely to be very high unless they are packed 
with unusual care and they would be operated by unskilled labor, 
with no mechanical training and little mechanical instinct. With the 
battery eliminated, of course the argument in favor of such apparatus 
loses much of its force, since it will no longer be possible to have light 
continuously unless the machine is running, nor will the engine be 
self-starting. It is believed, however, that these advantages can be 
dispensed with, since under any conditions electric lights are so 
superior to kerosene or acetylene gas, which are the forms now in 
common use; and if the batteries are not taken care of properly they 
are soon out of commission anyway. Engines for this use should be 
capable of operating on alcohol and especially kerosene, as the price 
of gasoline is almost prohibitive. Since this method of farm lighting 
is a very new development, little information regarding its possi¬ 
bilities is available, but one or two agencies for American apparatus 


126 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


have been established and the results so far obtained indicate that 
they will be successful. 

FIXTURES. 

The general practice with regard to fixtures follows closely upon 
that of Argentina and other countries, the most common system being 
the drop-light, consisting of two lamps on the end of a flexible cord, 
suspended in the center of the room. In the better class homes, chan¬ 
deliers and fixtures of various types are becoming popular, and the 
newer forms of indirect and semiindirect units are being introduced 
in the larger cities. Side-wall fixtures are seldom used, nor is it per¬ 
missible to use chandeliers for both gas and electricity. In some 
cases, however, a special kind of insulated attaching arm can be. used, 
provided extra care is taken in keeping the wires from coming in con¬ 
tact with the fixtures. In many instances, the older types of candle 
or gas burning chandeliers have been remodeled, or gas has been 
abandoned for illuminating purposes, and the necessity of purchasing 
new fixtures has thus been avoided. A great many chandeliers were 
adorned with crystal and glass pendants and new ones of this char¬ 
acter are in demand, especially very elaborate types suitable for very 
wealthy homes. 

Drop-lights and table lamps with fancy standards and shades are 
growing in popularity, and almost any of the more artistic designs 
are suitable for this trade. Much electrical material is made locally 
either from original designs or from imported material, but local 
makers are unable to turn out the finer class of goods, in which the 
biggest field for our future business seems to lie. 

Glass shades and reflectors have been used in large numbers as 
a result of an active selling campaign on the part of manufacturers. 
A continuation of such policy would be successful in building up 
trade in the metal reflectors of the so-called scientific designs. 

Porcelain shades are not particularly popular, and those which 
are intended for this market should be much lighter in weight than 
our standard shades, in order to reduce the cost of freight and duty. 
One dealer, finding himself with a larger quantity of this material 
than he could dispose of, engaged several students in the art school 
to decorate the shades with various pictures, such as landscapes and 
conventional designs. By this means he was able to charge enough 
to more than cover the additional cost, and sold them as ornamental 
rather than merely useful shades. On account of their heavier weight 
he was unable to compete with the cheaper European designs which 
are still to be had. 

FLASH LIGHTS. 

There is no apparent reason why portable lamps should not find 
in the larger cities a market equally as large, in proportion to popu¬ 
lation, as the market in the United States. To build up such a busi¬ 
ness, however, it is necessary to do the same amount of advertising 
and put out the same displays and propaganda as in this country. 

Extra precautions should be taken in the selection of batteries, as 
the ocean voyage is very trying upon them, and the climatic con¬ 
ditions are not of the best for conserving their strength. Frequently 
a large number of batteries are useless on arrival, and this so in- 


BRAZIL. 


127 


creases the cost of the good ones that very few people care -to, or 
indeed can afford to, purchase them. A satisfactory solution of this 
difficulty must be found, perhaps by local manufacture or by mak¬ 
ing a special type for foreign trade, if this trad^is to be increased. 
Frequent shipments of small lots will help. 

Advertising window displays and practical demonstrations are 
essential factors in making known the qualities of flash lights. Too 
often the lamps and batteries are allowed to become shopworn and 
dirty, thus presenting a very uninviting appearance, which must 
detract from their sales. It is a difficult part of the manufacturers’ 
work to convince the dealer who handles his products how to display 
and maintain them in a salable condition. 

FUSES. 

Standard American plugs and cartridge fuses are the ones most 
commonly used and there are very few of any other kind, the 
standard product of any of our factories being entirely satisfactory. 
The practice followed in using fuses on the various branch circuits 
is very similar to ours, consequently, the demand in many cities is 
comparable to the demand at home for the same number of central- 
station customers. 


HOUSEHOLD AND OFFICE DEVICES. 

Small motor-driven apparatus is practically unknown, and efforts 
to introduce it have resulted in a practical failure; the conservatism 
of the people does not permit them to adopt such devices very 
readily, and their mode of living does not require the use of many 
articles which have become almost indispensable to us. It is only by 
persistent effort that a new condition can be brought about whereby 
such material can be said to be really in demand. 

The smaller heating devices such as flatirons, toasters, and grills 
have been introduced and pushed long enough to have created a fair 
market in the larger cities. This is especially true where the central 
station has taken a hand in demonstrating them, as in Para. The 
Para Electric Co. maintains a salesroom where all these articles are 
on display and may be tested—a mode of selling that appeals very 
much to the people in general. Much more could be done if the 
retail dealers and their clerks were more alert in the sales methods. 
Customers frequently enter a store to investigate the merits of some 
device in which they are interested, and while it is always shown to 
them, it is done in such an apathetic manner that the effect is more 
often to kill than to make the sale unless the prospective customer 
already has a firm intention of buying the article. This is a diffi¬ 
culty which can hardly be remedied by correspondence. 

INDUSTRIAL CONTROL MATERIAL. 

Industrial development has greatly increased with the use of 
electric motors and their proper controlling apparatus, but in prac¬ 
tically every instance the two are purchased together, so that there 
is little opportunity for building up a business in controllers alone. 
No “safety-first” rules have been adopted, nor are any contemplated 
so far as is known. Occasionally, individual manufacturers would 


128 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


purchase such articles if their advantages were demonstrated, but 
there would have to be some popular demand or some Government 
regulation specifying the use of such devices before the sale would 
be appreciable. 

INSULATORS. 

For inside wiring, the standard form of cleat is used very fre¬ 
quently instead of the European form. This applies particularly 
to the installations made by branches or representatives of American 
factories. In the smaller localities, these are replaced by the Euro¬ 
pean knobs, which are much smaller than ours, both in diameter and 
height. For telegraph and telephone work, glass insulators are used 
to a small extent, but the porcelain insulators are generally more 
prominent. 

Dimension drawings of the insulators which have been adopted 
as standard by the department of posts and telegraphs of the Bra¬ 
zilian Government have been obtained and are on exhibition at the 
New York office of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 
where they may be ispected by those interested. From what has been 
said about transmission lines (see p. 108), it will be seen that there 
are in use already a large number of insulators for 24,000, 44,000, 
and even 88,000 volts. 

There are also in the city of Rio de Janeiro, approximately 700 
kilometers (43.5 miles) of overhead circuits for 6,000 volts. These 
are all supported on pin-type porcelain insulators, which are also 
used throughout the country for circuits of 24,000 and 44,000 volts. 
Both European and American types have been used. 

As everything points to the continued extension of transmission 
lines, particularly in the States of Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Minas 
Geraes, Sao Paulo, and Parana, it is evident that there will be a con¬ 
tinuous demand for suitable insulators. American types are very 
much in favor and if presented properly should be successful in 
satisfying a large part of the demand. 

LINE MATERIALS. 

The extension of transmission lines in all directions is making 
necessary the use of overhead material of all sorts. The voltage of 
the longest transmission is 44,000, while the highest voltage is 88,000. 
The greatest amount of line material is used between the two large 
companies, the Brazilian Traction, Light & Power Co. (Ltd), con¬ 
trolling the central stations in Sao Paulo and Rio, and the Cia. 
Brasileira de Energia Electrica, both of which use American material 
almost exclusively. 

Line material for low-tension circuits for power and light distri¬ 
bution is being continuously used and undoubtedly will be in greater 
demand in the near future, since many of the smaller stations are 
planning to increase the area covered by their lines as soon as it is 
possible to obtain the necessary wire and other materials. Develop¬ 
ment has been retarded in practically every central station by the 
high prices, but to-day this has come to be rather a secondary con¬ 
sideration, and the demands of new consumers must be taken care of. 

The tramways follow American or English practices in the matter 
of overhead construction, and our standard material can be used for 


BRAZIL* 


129 


replacements. When the projected electrification of steam railroads 
is accomplished, as noted above, there will be a corresponding demand 
for line material of highest grade. 

MEDICAL APPARATUS. 

Small appliances such as vibrators and violet-ray producers have 
been meeting with some success with the general public. The 
strictly medical apparatus, that is, wall cabinets furnishing gal¬ 
vanic and sinusoidal current for direct bodily application, cauteriz¬ 
ing, etc., have had a very limited sale. Apparently this is due more 
to a lack of propaganda by the dealers than anything else, as the 
profession in general is reputed to be progressive in its methods and 
equipment. No dental office is considered up to date unless equipped 
with the latest American apparatus. 

All hospitals have X-ray machines, most of them being of Euro¬ 
pean manufacture. More will undoubtedly be purchased from time 
to time, and there is a small continuous sale for renewal tubes. 


METERS. 

None of the important central stations will tolerate flat-rate serv¬ 
ice, and as a result there is a constant market for watt-hour meters. 
The sizes most in demand include those of a capacity of 2 to 10 
amperes. For ordinary household circuits practically all are for 
single phase, 120 or 220 volts, 60 cycles, as all the larger stations fur¬ 
nish current with these characteristics. There is a smaller demand 
for direct-current meters, for three-phase power meters, and for 50- 
cycle meters in the circuits of lighting companies. In Rio de Janeiro 
and Sao Paulo there are over 90,000 meters, and the annual require¬ 
ments are normally about 10 per cent of this number. 

In the smaller plants European meters have been largely used, 
especially in those equipped with European machinery. American 
makes, however, are in general giving entire satisfaction, and if 
modified to meet some of the local requirements will be able to con¬ 
tinue to occupy the favorable position they are now holding. 

The special features desired vary among the different users, and 
consist in general of glass covers and iron-clad conduit terminals for 
entrance wires, cyclometer or direct-reading dials, and such me¬ 
chanical construction as will exclude as far as possible tropical bugs 
and insects. 

TOYS. 

Electrical toys have so far found no sale whatever, and the pos¬ 
sible field is confined to the small foreign colonies in or near the 
larger cities. Perhaps this condition will change, but the general 
sentiment and temperament of the people apparently do not incline 
them toward the use of such devices. 

TRANSFORMERS. 

On account of the great amount of alternating current used the 
market for transformers is fairly large. The practice in Rio de 

120766°—19 - 9 



130 


ELECTRICAL GOODS. 


Janeiro and Sao Paulo is to install large units in underground 
switching stations feeding the distribution circuits. In the smaller 
places the transformers are installed above ground and are also of 
fairly large capacity. The use of pole-top transformers is confined to 
a few localities following American practices. There is little or no 
regular demand for the very small sizes for individual installations. 

The transformers used in Rio de Janeiro for secondary circuits are 
wound for 6,000 volts primary, and 216.5-125 volts secondary. The 
primary has a delta winding and the secondary a star winding, with 
grounded neutral. The distribution is made on a four-wire, three- 
phase basis at the above voltages. 

WIRE AND CABLE. 

Wire and cable form one of the largest items in electrical importa¬ 
tions. Formerly, only the best grades of American wire were used, 
but of late years European competition has tended to cheapen the 
market, with the result that the largest demand is for European 
types of insulation. Several American manufacturers have pro¬ 
duced this quality of wire and have been successful in obtaining a 
large part of the business. The kinds most used are those familiarly 
known as the V. I. R. (vulcanized india rubber), other kinds 
produced by the Cable Makers’ Association of England, and the infe¬ 
rior grades usually supplied by Germany. 

Bare transmission wire is used only on the long-distance lines, as 
the municipal authorities in practically every locality insist that 
insulated wire be used within the city limits. 

Aluminum wire has been used with considerable success in the 
city of Santos, and although various other companies have expressed 
an interest in it none has as yet tried it out. 

Lead-covered wire is used in moderate quantities, but the lead 
sheathing should be as much thinner than our standard as possible, 
in order to lower the cost of the importations. The sizes most used 
consist of two conductors, No. 14 or No. 12 Brown & Sharpe gauge 
wire. 

Underground cables are used in the installations in the larger cities 
and for this work both American and English cables have been em¬ 
ployed. That the latter has some preference can be seen from the 
statistics, which show that the only line in which English manufac¬ 
turers have the advantage over all other countries is electrical cables. 
Of a total of $824,986 worth of cable imported in 1913, $409,051 
worth, or nearly 50 per cent, was supplied by England. Germany 
and the United States each furnished about an equal amount, which 
together was less than the amount supplied by England. 

In Rio de Janeiro the principal types of cable installed are 
1,000,000 circular mil, paper insulated and lead covered, to be laid 
directly in the ground; and paper insulated but unarmored for insu¬ 
lating in fiber ducts. For the low-tension feeder circuits both arm¬ 
ored and unarmored cables for three-phase, four-wire operation are 
installed. For the aerial circuits, weatherproof, insulated wire of 
sizes from No. 6 Brown & Sharpe gauge to 500,000 circular mil are 
used. 

Considerable amounts of round, single, and double cotton-covered 
magnet wire are used by the tramway companies for winding arma- 


BRAZIL. 


131 


ture and field coils. All these companies prefer to make their own 
repairs rather than buy factory-made coils, with the result that there 
is demand for this kind of wire in various sizes, depending upon 
the kinds of motors in use. 

A large amount of flexible cord is used, since much of the house 
wiring, especially in the interior, is for drop-lights. 

Competition has been entirely from European factories in the past, 
but the Japanese industry has taken advantage of the unusual con¬ 
ditions now prevailing and is offering wire and cable at prices rather 
lower than those asked by American manufacturers. As yet very 
little of this material has actually been purchased, but apparently 
the representatives of the Japanese industry are determined to obtain 
a large share of this trade if they can. 

As in other lines, price is the principal consideration, and we must 
be prepared to meet the prices quoted by others, either on our own 
standard type of wire or on special types manufactured for foreign 
trade, if we are to maintain the lead which is now ours. 


APPENDIX. 

TELEPHONE COMPANIES IN URUGUAY, 


Name. 

Sub¬ 

scribers. 

Address. 

Cia. Telefdnica de Montevideo. 

8,500 
3,700 

Montevideo. 

Sociedad Cooperativa Telefdnica Nacional. 

Do. 

Empresa Telefdnica La Union. 

582 

Durazno. 

Empresa Telefdnica La Union. 

370 

Mercedes. 

Empresa Telefdnica Sarandi del Yi. 

80 

Sarandi del Yi (Durazno). 

Neuva Helvecia (Colonia). 

Colonia. 

Telefono Helvetico. 

60 

Telefonos de Colonia. 

150 

Empresa Telefdnica Progreso. 

470 

Minas. 

Empresa Telefdnica La Activa. 

350 

Trinidad (Flores). 

San Fructuoso (Tacuarembo). 
Paysandu. 

Melo (C. Largo). 

Artigas. 

Conchillas (Colonia). 

Rocha. 

Empresa Telefbnica La Economica. 

445 

Empresa Telefonica La Nacional. 

502 

Empresa Telefonica La Uruguaya. 

220 

Empresa Telefonica Stratta. 

182 

Empresa Telefdnica La Rurall. 

38 

Empresa Telefdnica La Economica. 

250 

Empresa Telefbnica La Oriental. 

185 

Dolores (Soriano). 

Paso de los Toros (St. Isabel). 
Maldonado. 

Empresa Telefdnica Rio Negro. 

110 

Empresa Telefonica Rio de la Plata. 

190 

Empresa Telefbnica La Carolina. 

142 

San Carlos. 

Empresa Telefbnica Tomas Gomensoro. 

25 

Artigas. 

Treinta y Tres. 

Carmelo (Colonia). 

Rivera. 

Empresa Telefbnica La Berliner. 

130 

Empresa Telefonica La Uruguaya. 

210 

Empresa Telefdnica La Intemacional. 

620 

Empresa Telefdnica La Oriental. 

300 

Trinidad (Flores). 

Salto. 

Empresa Telefbnica Salteno. 

340 

Empresa Telefonica La Sanducera. 

(<*) 

Paysandu. 



o No data. 

CENTRAL STATIONS IN URUGUAY. 


Location and name of plant. 

Motive power. 

Capacity. 

Character¬ 
istics of 
circuits. 

Make of 
machinery. 

Canelones: Usinas Electricas del Estado.... 

Petroleum. 

Kilowatts. 

55 

220 D. C. 

American. 

Carmelo: Empresa Electrica de Carmela.... 


118 

220 D. C. 

Colonia: Usinas Electricas del Estado. 

Steam. 

495 

a220 A. C. 

German. 

Do. 

Durazno: Empresa Electrica de Durazno... 
Florida: Empresa Eldctnca de Florida. 

Fray Bentos: Municipalidad de Fray Bentos. 
La Paz: Usinas Electricas del Estado. 

Producer gas. 

163 

220 D. C. 

Petroleum and pro¬ 
ducer gas. 

Steam.. 

191 

80 

150 D. C. 

110 D. C. 

Substation fed from 

a220 A. C. 


Las Piedras: Usinas Electricas del Estado.. 

Montevideo. 

.do. 


a220 A. C. 


Maldonado: Usinas Electricas del Estado... 

Petroleum. 

i60 

<*220 A. C. 

Swiss. 

Melo: Empresa Electrica de Melo. 

Steam. 

190 

220 D. C. 

MercedesfEmpresa Electrica de Mercedes.. 


&135 A. C. 


Minas: Empresa Electrica de Minas. 



&135 A. C. 


Paysandd: Empresa E16ctrica de Paysandd. 



220 D. C. 


Puiita del Este: Usinas Electricas del Esta- 

Substation fed from 


<*220 A. C. 


do. 

Rivera: Empresa Electrica de Rivera. 

Maldonado. 


220 D. C. 
220 D. C. 


Rocha: Empresa Electrica de Rocha. 




Salto: Empresa Electrica de Salto. 



220 D. C. 


San Carlos: Usinas del Estado. 

Substation fed from 


o220 A. C. 

220 D. C. 
220 D. C. 
220 D. C. 


San Jose: Empresa Electrica de San Jose... 

Maldonado. 



Tacuarembo: Usinas del Estado. 

Steam. 

150 

219 


Trinidad: Empresa Electrica de Trinidad.. 

Petroleum. 

German. 

Montevideo: Usinas Electricas del Estado.. 

Steam. 

c17,000 

a220 A. C. 




» Three-phase, 50 cycles. 

*> Single-phase, 50 cycles. 

c To be increased to 27,000 with the installation of the new turbogenerator unit bought in the United 
States (General Electric Co.) in 1918. 

132 







































































APPENDIX, 


133 


The Administration General of the Usinas Etectricas del Estado Is ready to 
undertake the establishment of plants in the following places as soon as the 
conditions are more favorable: Dolores, Jose Batille y Ordonez, Pando, Ros¬ 
ario, San Eugenio, Santa Lucia, Sarandi del Yi, and Treinta y Tres. 

TELEPHONE COMPANIES IN BRAZIL. 


Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo Telephone Co. 

Brazilianische Electricitats-Gesellschaft, operating in city and Federal Dis¬ 
trict of Rio de Janeiro. 

Cia. de Telephones Internestadoaes, operating in the State of Minas Geraes. 
The Interurban Telephone Co. of Brazil, operating in the State of Rio de 
Janeiro. 

Cia. Telephonica do Estado de Sao Paulo, operating in the cities of Sao Paulo, 
Santos, Campinas, etc., in the State of Sao Paulo. 

Cia. Rede Telephonica Bragantina, operating in the State of Sao Paulo. 

Cia. Telephonica' Rio Grandense, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. 

Telephone Co. of Pernambuco (Ltd.), Recife, Pernambuco. 

Empreza Telephonica do Bahia, Sao Salvador, Bahia. 

Empreza Telephonica do Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara. 

Para Public Works Co. (Ltd.), Belem, Para. 

Cia. Telephonica do Maranhao, S. Luiz, Maranhao. 

Cia. Mineira de Electricidade, Juiz de Fora, Minas Geraes. 

Cia. de Electricidade y Viacao Urbano, Bello Horizonte, Minas Geraes. 

LIST OF DEALERS. 

Lists of importers and dealers in electrical machinery and supplies in the 
east-coast countries of South America may be obtained from the Bureau of 
Foreign and Domestic Commerce or its branch and cooperative offices. When 
making request for these lists, refer to the following file numbers: Argentina, 
file 40307; Uruguay, file 40308; Brazil, file 40309. 

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